Aqua America – founded 1886
Aqua
America
762 Lancaster Avenue Avenue
In 1886, a group of Swarthmore College professors connected pumps and
pipes to nearby springs to supply their Delaware County community with
drinking water and incorporated into the Springfield Water Company –
now known as Aqua America. In 1882, the neighboring Bryn Mawr Water
Company sank an artisan well in the property of their corporate
headquarters on Lancaster Pike. In 1896, the Springfield Water Company
acquired the Bryn Mawr Water Company in order to consolidate operations
and management functions. By 1925 the Company had grown to meet the
needs of 58 municipalities in 3 counties and shareholders voted to
change the name to Philadelphia Suburban Water Company (or PSW).
A mission of Lower Merion Baptist Church, including a chapel and
educational building on Lancaster Avenue, was sold to the PSW Co in
1952 for their offices. In 1968 the water company board voted to create
a holding company, Philadelphia Suburban Corporation and listed PSC on
the New York Stock Exchange in July, 1971. In 2003, PSC announced plans
to change the corporation name to Aqua America, Inc. and the ticker
symbol to WTR On January 16, 2004, PSW became Aqua Pennsylvania.
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