American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) said that the Virginia State Corporation Commission has approved its proposed merger with Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG).
American Water said the approval is the third regulatory green light for the merger and the first in a state where both companies operate regulated water and wastewater businesses.
The companies previously received approvals from the Kentucky Public Service Commission in April and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in May. Shareholders of both companies also voted in favor of the merger earlier this year.
Announced in October 2025, the all-stock transaction will create one of the largest regulated utility companies in the United States. The combined company is expected to serve more than 4.7 million water and wastewater customer connections, as well as over 740,000 natural gas connections.
Following the merger, the company will operate under the American Water name and remain headquartered in Camden, New Jersey.
The deal is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2027, subject to antitrust clearance and remaining regulatory approvals.
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June 19, 2026 16:46 ET Major central banks continued to dominate the economic news flow this week too, led by the Federal Reserve, as they announced their latest policy decisions. The Federal Reserve policy session was in focus as it was the first to be led by the new chief Kevin Warsh. In Europe, central banks of the U.K. and Switzerland announced their rate decisions. In Asia, the Bank of Japan drew attention for its policy moves, while data out of China threw some light on the state of the economy.