Press Release

Reminder: Public Input Hearings Next Week on Proposed Merger Between PA American Water Company and Community Utilities of Pennsylvania

Published on 9/15/2025

Filed under: Water and Wastewater

PUC Holding Four In-Person and Telephonic Hearings on Sept. 23^rd & 24^th to Gather Public Input from Customers and Other Concerned Parties

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today reminded consumers and other interested parties about four in-person and telephonic hearings next week to gather public input on the proposed merger between Pennsylvania American Water Company (PAWC) and Community Utilities of Pennsylvania (CUPA). 

CUPA serves water and wastewater customers in Northampton, Monroe, Pike and Chester counties.

In-Person Public Input Hearings

Two in-person public input hearings for this proceeding will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at the following locations:

        Lehigh Valley
        Nancy Run Fire Company Social Hall
        3564 Easton Ave.
        Bethlehem, PA 18020
        The Bethlehem hearing will begin at 1 p.m

        Pike County
        The Glen at Tamiment Community Center
        314 Underhill Drive
        Tamiment, PA 18371
        The Tamiment hearing will begin at 6 p.m.

Telephonic Public Input Hearings

Two telephonic public input hearings will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, at the following times:

• Telephonic hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
• Telephonic hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.

PUC Administrative Law Judge Erin L. Gannon will preside over the hearings.

Participating in the Telephonic Input Hearings

The call-in information for the two telephonic hearings is as follows:

        Toll-Free Conference Number:    866-759-6860 
        PIN Number:                                71568747

To participate in a telephonic public input hearing, please complete the following:

• You must dial the toll-free Conference number above.
• You must enter the PIN number above when instructed.
• You must speak your name when prompted, and press #.
• Then, the telephone system will connect you to the hearing.

NOTE:  Individuals wishing to testify at a telephonic public input hearing are encouraged to pre-register. 

To pre-register, please email Judge Gannon’s legal assistant, Sumathi Jayakumar Raj, at sumjayakum@pa.gov or call 717-787-4972 and provide the following information:

• Your first and last name.
• The hearing for which you are registering.
• The phone number you will be using to call into the public input hearing.
• A phone number where you can be reached prior to the hearing, if needed.
• Your email address, if you have one.

If you need assistance pre-registering to testify, you may have someone register for you, but they will need to provide the PUC Judge with all the information listed above.  Additionally, if more than one person in your household would like to testify, one person may pre-register for other individuals in the same household by providing the PUC Judge’s legal assistant with the information for each individual planning to testify.

Requests for Interpreters

If you require an interpreter, please pre-register as soon as possible and indicate the need for an interpreter.  If you request an interpreter, the PUC will make reasonable efforts to have one present.

Accommodation for participating in telephonic public input hearings

Persons with a hearing and/or speech impairment may dial 711 to use a TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Service.

Public Input Hearing Exhibits

If you have any hearing exhibits to which you will refer during the hearing, please email them to the PUC Judge’s legal assistant at sumjayakum@pa.gov.  The PUC judge will forward your exhibits to all the parties.  Exhibits must be emailed by 10 a.m. on the day before for the public input hearing.

Questions

If you have questions about the public input hearings, you may contact the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (toll-free) at 1-800-684-6560 or by email at consumer@paoca.org.  You may also contact the Pennsylvania Office of Small Business Advocate at 717-783-2525 or osba@pa.gov.

Offering Testimony at a Public Input Hearing

The PUC offers tips on how to participate in a public input hearing, including:

• Prepare what you are going to say beforehand. Even though it is not required, you may want to write out your statement, which can be read.
• Any formal testimony that is offered during the hearing will become part of the record on which the PUC will issue its final decision.
• Understand that parties in the case may want to ask you a question to clarify something you said.

More information on the ratemaking process is available on the PUC’s website.

Proposed Merger

PAWC and CUPA filed the application with the Commission seeking approval of the merger before the transaction can be closed.  If the Commission were to approve the merger, the change of control of CUPA from Nexus Regulated Utilities LLC to American Water Works Company Inc. (American Water) would be finalized.  American Water owns 100% of the stock of PAWC.

CUPA provides water service to approximately 3,212 water customers (3,164 residential and 48 commercial) in three service territories in Hanover Township, Northampton County; Stroud and Pocono townships, Monroe County; and Lehman Township, Pike County.

CUPA provides wastewater service to approximately 3,846 sewer customers to three service territories in West Bradford Township, Chester County; Stroud and Pocono townships, Monroe County; and Lehman Township, Pike County.

About the PUC

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

Visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Docket Nos.:

A-2025-3055551
A-2025-3055552
A-2025-3055553
A-2025-3055554

Contact:

• David Hixson
  Deputy Press Secretary
  717-772-2766
  dhixson@pa.gov