Note 1 – Basis of Presentation and Recent Developments

Middlesex Water Company (Middlesex or the Company) is the parent company and sole shareholder of Tidewater Utilities, Inc. (Tidewater), Pinelands Water Company (Pinelands Water) and Pinelands Wastewater Company (Pinelands Wastewater) (collectively, Pinelands), Utility Service Affiliates, Inc. (USA), and Utility Service Affiliates (Perth Amboy) Inc. (USA-PA). Southern Shores Water Company, LLC (Southern Shores) and White Marsh Environmental Systems, Inc. (White Marsh) are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Tidewater. The financial statements for Middlesex and its wholly-owned subsidiaries are reported on a consolidated basis. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

The consolidated notes within the 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K (the 2021 Form 10-K) are applicable to these financial statements and, in the opinion of the Company, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments necessary (including normal recurring accruals) to present fairly the financial position as of March 31, 2022 and the results of operations and cash flows for the three month periods ended March 31, 2022 and 2021. Information included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2021, has been derived from the Company’s December 31, 2021 audited financial statements included in the 2021 Form 10-K.

Recent Developments

Regulatory Notice of Non-Compliance - In September 2021, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued a Notice of Non-Compliance (Notice) to Middlesex based on self-reporting by Middlesex that the level of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in water treated at its Park Avenue Wellfield Treatment Plant in South Plainfield, New Jersey exceeded a recently promulgated NJDEP standard effective in 2021. Neither the NJDEP nor Middlesex has characterized this exceedance as an acute health threat. However, Middlesex was required to notify its affected customers and complied in November 2021 as required by the regulation. Further, the Notice required the Company to take any action necessary to comply with the new standard by September 7, 2022.

The NJDEP standard for PFOA was developed based on a Health-based Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 14 parts per trillion (ppt). Although the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has not yet implemented a regulation relative to PFOA, the water distributed from the Park Avenue Wellfield Treatment Plant does meet the USEPA’s current health advisory level of 70 ppt and would meet the NJDEP’s pre-2021 standard guidance level of 40 ppt, which was not a regulation. Construction of an enhanced treatment process at the Park Avenue Wellfield Treatment Plant to comply with an anticipated NJDEP standard, at a level which is unknown at this time, had already begun prior to the regulation being enacted. Since completion is not expected until mid-2023, in December 2021, the Company implemented an interim solution to meet the Notice requirements. The Park Avenue Wellfield Treatment Plant was taken off-line and alternate sources of supply have been obtained. The Company is in the process of implementing an acceleration of a portion of the Park Avenue Wellfield treatment upgrades in order to meet anticipated increases in the historical higher water demand periods during the summer months. This is also intended to result in compliance with the requirements of the Notice.

In November 2021, the Company was served with two PFOA-related class action lawsuits seeking restitution for medical, water replacement and other claimed related costs. These lawsuits are in the early stages of the legal process and their ultimate resolution cannot be predicted at this time. The Company’s insurance provider has acknowledged coverage of potential liability which may result from these lawsuits.

In January 2022, the Company filed a petition with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) seeking to establish a regulatory asset and deferred accounting treatment until its next base rate setting proceeding for all costs associated with the interim solution to comply with the Notice.

While the Company believes monetary penalties are unlikely, the issuance of the Notice does not preclude the State of New Jersey or any of its agencies from initiating formal administrative and/or judicial enforcement action, including assessment of penalties of up to $25,000 per day per offense if the Company is not in compliance with the requirements of the Notice by September 7, 2022.

Sale of Subsidiary – In January 2022, Middlesex closed on the Delaware Public Service Commission (DEPSC) approved sale of 100% of the common stock of its subsidiary Tidewater Environmental Services, Inc. to Artesian Wastewater Management, Inc. for $6.4 million in cash and other consideration, resulting in a $5.2 million pre-tax gain. The Company will continue to own and operate its non-regulated water and wastewater contract operations business in Delaware.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic – On April 13, 2022, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services renewed the determination that a nationwide health emergency exists as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. While the Company’s operations and capital construction program have not been materially disrupted to date from the pandemic, the COVID-19 impact on economic conditions nationally continues to be uncertain and could affect the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and liquidity in the future. In New Jersey, the declared COVID-19 State of Emergency ended on March 7, 2022. In Delaware, the declared COVID-19 State of Emergency Order ended in July 2021.

The NJBPU and the DEPSC have approved the tracking of COVID-19 related incremental costs for potential recovery in customer rates in future rate proceedings. Neither jurisdiction has established a timetable or definitive formal procedures for seeking cost recovery. Since March 2020, the Company has increased its allowance for doubtful accounts for expected increases in accounts receivable write-offs due to the financial impact of COVID-19 on customers. Since the ultimate rate treatment to be determined by the NJBPU regarding incremental costs related to COVID-19 is not definitively known at this time, the Company has not deferred any such costs. We will continue to monitor the effects of COVID-19 and evaluate its impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Recent Accounting Guidance

There is no new adopted or proposed accounting guidance that the Company is aware of that could have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters

Middlesex – In December 2021, Middlesex’s petition to the NJBPU seeking permission to increase its base water rates was concluded, based on a negotiated settlement, resulting in an expected increase in annual operating revenues of $27.7 million. The approved tariff rates were designed to recover increased operating costs as well as a return on invested capital of $513.5 million, based on an authorized return on common equity of 9.6%. The increase is being implemented in two phases with $20.7 million of the increase effective January 1, 2022 and the remaining $7.0 million effective January 1, 2023. As part of the negotiated settlement, the Purchased Water Adjustment Clause (PWAC), which is a rate mechanism that allows for recovery of increased purchased water costs between base rate case filings, was reset to zero.

In March 2022, Middlesex filed a petition with the NJBPU seeking approval to set its PWAC tariff rate to recover additional costs of $3.7 million for the purchase of treated water from a non-affiliated water utility regulated by the NJBPU. We cannot predict whether the NJBPU will ultimately approve, deny or reduce the amount of our request.

Twin Lakes Utilities, Inc. (Twin Lakes) - Twin Lakes provides water services to approximately 115 residential customers in Shohola, Pennsylvania. Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Code, Twin Lakes filed a petition requesting the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PAPUC) to order the acquisition of Twin Lakes by a capable public utility. The PAPUC assigned an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) to adjudicate the matter and submit a recommended decision (Recommended Decision) to the PAPUC. As part of this legal proceeding the PAPUC also issued an Order in January 2021 appointing a large Pennsylvania based investor-owned water utility as the receiver (the Receiver Utility) of the Twin Lakes system until the petition is fully adjudicated by the PAPUC. In November 2021, the PAPUC issued an Order affirming the ALJ’s Recommended Decision, ordering the Receiver Utility to acquire the Twin Lakes water system and for Middlesex to submit $1.7 million into an escrow account within 30 days. Twin Lakes immediately filed a Petition For Review (PFR) with the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania (the Pennsylvania Court) seeking reversal and vacation of the escrow requirement on the grounds that it violates the Pennsylvania Public Utility Code as well as the United States Constitution. In addition, Twin Lakes filed an emergency petition for stay of the PAPUC Order pending the Pennsylvania Court’s review of the merits arguments contained in Twin Lakes’ PFR. In December 2021, the Pennsylvania Court granted Twin Lakes’ emergency petition, pending its review. A final decision by the Pennsylvania Court is not expected before June 2022. The final adjudication of this matter cannot be predicted at this time.

The financial results, total assets and financial obligations of Twin Lakes are not material to Middlesex.

Note 3 – Capitalization

Common Stock - For the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company received proceeds of $2.9 million and $0.3 million, respectively, for the issuance of shares of its common stock under the Middlesex Water Company Investment Plan (the Investment Plan). On September 1, 2021, the Company began offering shares of its common stock for purchase at a 3% discount to participants in the Investment Plan. The discount offering will continue until 200,000 shares are purchased at the discounted price or August 1, 2022, whichever event occurs first. Through March 31, 2022, 60,096 shares have been purchased through the discounted offering. The discount applies to all common stock purchases made under the Investment Plan, whether by optional cash payment or by dividend reinvestment.

Long-term Debt - Middlesex currently has two projects that are in the construction loan phase of the New Jersey State Revolving Fund (SRF) program:

1)

In April 2018, the NJBPU approved Middlesex’s request to participate in the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) loan program to fund the construction of a 4.5 mile large-diameter transmission pipeline from the Carl J. Olsen water treatment plant in Edison, New Jersey and interconnect with our distribution system. Middlesex closed on a $43.5 million NJIB interest-free construction loan in August 2018 and completed withdrawal of the proceeds in June 2021; and

2)

In March 2018, the NJBPU approved Middlesex’s request to participate in the NJIB loan program to fund the 2018 RENEW Program, which is an ongoing initiative to rehabilitate or replace water distribution mains in the Middlesex system. Middlesex closed on an $8.7 million interest-free NJIB construction loan in September 2018 and completed withdrawal of the proceeds in October 2019.

The Company anticipates that these two interest-free construction loans will be converted into long-term securitized loans by the NJIB during the second quarter of 2022.

In November 2021, Tidewater received approval from the DEPSC to borrow up to $5.0 million under the Delaware SRF Program for construction of a one million gallon elevated storage tank. Tidewater closed on the $5.0 million loan in December 2021 and began receiving disbursements in January 2022. Through March 31, 2022, Tidewater has drawn a total of $1.3 million and expects borrowing under this loan to continue through mid-2023. The final maturity date on the loan is 2044.

It was not practicable to estimate their fair value on our outstanding long-term debt for which there is no quoted market price and there is not an active trading market. For details, including carrying value, interest rate and due date on these series of long-term debt, please refer to those series of long-term debt titled “Amortizing Secured Notes”, “State Revolving Trust Notes”, and “Construction Loans” on the Consolidated Statements of Capital Stock and Long-Term Debt. The carrying amount of these instruments was $212.7 million and $212.3 million at March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Customer advances for construction have carrying amounts of $23.0 million and $23.5 million at March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Their relative fair values cannot be accurately estimated since future refund payments depend on several variables, including new customer connections, customer consumption levels and future rate increases.

Substantially all of the utility plant of the Company is subject to the lien of its mortgage, which includes debt service and capital ratio covenants. The Company is in compliance with all of its mortgage covenants and restrictions.

Note 4 – Earnings Per Share

Note 5 – Business Segment Data

Note 6 – Short-term Borrowings

The interest rate for borrowings under the Bank of America and PNC Bank lines of credit is set using the Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield Index and adding a credit spread, which varies by financial institution. The interest rate for borrowings under the CoBank line of credit are set weekly using CoBank’s internal cost of funds index that is similar to the Standard Overnight Financing Rate and adding a credit spread. There is no requirement for a compensating balance under any of the established lines of credit.

The weighted average interest rate on the outstanding borrowings at March 31, 2022 under these credit lines is 1.20%.

The weighted average daily amounts of outstanding borrowings under the Company’s credit lines and the weighted average interest rates on those amounts were $13.4 million and $8.0 million at 1.12% and 1.12% for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The maturity dates for the $15.0 million outstanding as of March 31, 2022 are in April 2022 and May 2022 and were or are expected to be extended at the discretion of the Company.

Note 7 – Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

Water Supply - Middlesex has an agreement with the New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA) for the purchase of untreated water through November 30, 2023, which provides for an average purchase of 27.0 million gallons a day (mgd). Pricing is set annually by the NJWSA through a public rate making process. The agreement has provisions for additional pricing in the event Middlesex overdrafts or exceeds certain monthly and annual thresholds.

Middlesex has an agreement with a non-affiliated regulated water utility for the purchase of treated water. This agreement, which expires February 27, 2026, provides for the minimum purchase of 3.0 mgd of treated water with provisions for additional purchases.

Tidewater contracts with the City of Dover, Delaware to purchase 15.0 million gallons of treated water annually.