EPCOR acquires Arizona water provider for $35 million U.S.

EDMONTON, June 8 /PRNewswire/ - EPCOR Utilities Inc. has signed an agreement for the acquisition of all outstanding shares of Chaparral City Water Company (Chaparral) of Arizona.

Chaparral, a subsidiary of American States Water Company, is a public utility company engaged principally in the purchase, production, distribution, and sale of water to about 13,000 customers in the Town of Fountain Hills and a small portion of Scottsdale, Arizona. The Metropolitan Phoenix area, including Fountain Hills and Scottsdale, is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States.

"This investment provides EPCOR entry into the water utility market in Arizona," said President and CEO Don Lowry. "It establishes a base in the U.S. South West from which we intend to grow our water business. Gaining presence in this market is a key part of EPCOR's growth strategy and we look forward to serving these customers and being an active member of the community."

The $35-million US acquisition including the assumption of approximately $6 million of long-term debt, by EPCOR Water (USA) Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of EPCOR Utilities Inc., is subject to regulatory approval by the Arizona Corporation Commission, which is anticipated to be accomplished in 2011. The acquisition will be funded with cash or debt financing. Chaparral has 12 employees, who are expected to continue to operate the utility within EPCOR once the transaction closes.

In addition to its staff, Chaparral assets include a water distribution system and 15 million-gallon-per-day water treatment plant in Fountain Hills. This is EPCOR's first water acquisition in the U.S. New Harbor Inc., a boutique investment bank based out of New York, brokered the transaction.

EPCOR is a trusted provider of safe, reliable and high-quality drinking water and wastewater services to more than one million people in over 70 communities in Western Canada. EPCOR owns and/or operates 24 water treatment and distribution facilities and 24 wastewater treatment and collection facilities.

About EPCOR Utilities Inc.

EPCOR's wholly owned subsidiaries build, own and operate electrical transmission and distribution networks, water and wastewater treatment facilities and infrastructure. EPCOR, headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, is an Alberta Top 50 employer. EPCOR's website is www.epcor.ca.

Forward-looking Information

Certain information in this news release is forward looking and related to anticipated financial performance, events and strategies. When used in this context, words such as "will", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "intend", "target" and "expect" or similar words suggest future outcomes. By their nature, such statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, which could cause EPCOR's actual results and experience to be materially different than the anticipated results. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, operating performance, commodity prices and volumes, load settlement, regulatory and government decisions including changes to environmental and tax legislation, weather and economic conditions, competitive pressures, construction risks, availability and cost of financing, foreign exchange risks, availability of labour and management resources and the performance of partners, contractors and suppliers.

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SOURCE EPCOR Utilities Inc.