Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

Note 4 - 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 also has an agreement with a non-affiliated regulated water utility for the purchase of treated water. This agreement, which expires February 27, 2021, 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 treated water of 15.0 million gallons annually.

Purchased water costs are shown below:

	(Millions of Dollars)
	Years Ended December 31,
Purchased Water	2016		2015		2014
Untreated	$	2.6	$	2.5	$	2.4
Treated		3.2		3.1		3.1
Total Costs	$	5.8	$	5.6	$	5.5

Contract Operations - USA-PA operates the City of Perth Amboy, New Jersey’s (Perth Amboy) water and wastewater collection systems under a 20-year agreement, which expires in 2018. In connection with the agreement with Perth Amboy, USA-PA entered into a 20-year subcontract with a wastewater operating company for the operation and maintenance of the Perth Amboy wastewater collection system. The subcontract provides for the sharing of certain fixed and variable fees and operating expenses and its term is concurrent with USA-PA’s contract with Perth Amboy.

Guarantees - As part of an agreement with the County of Monmouth, New Jersey (County), Middlesex serves as guarantor of the performance of Applied Water Management, Inc. (AWM), an unaffiliated wastewater treatment contractor, to operate a County-owned leachate pretreatment facility at the Monmouth County Reclamation Center in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. The performance guaranty is effective through 2028 unless another guarantor, acceptable to the County, replaces Middlesex before such date. Under agreements with AWM and Natural Systems Utilities, LLC (NSU), the parent company of AWM, Middlesex earns a fee for providing the performance guaranty. In addition, Middlesex may provide operational support to the facility, as needed, and AWM and NSU, serving as guarantor to Middlesex with respect to the performance of AWM, agree to indemnify Middlesex against any claims that may arise under the Middlesex guaranty to the County.

If requested to perform under the guaranty to the County and, if AWM and NSU, as guarantor to Middlesex, do not fulfill their obligations to indemnify Middlesex against any claims that may arise under the Middlesex guaranty to the County, Middlesex would be required to fulfill the remaining operational commitment of AWM. As of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the liability recognized in Other Non-Current Liabilities on the balance sheet for the guaranty is approximately $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively.

Construction –The Company has projected to spend up to $60.2 million in 2017, $88.9 million in 2018 and $73.8 million in 2019 on its construction program. The actual amount and timing of capital expenditures is dependent on the need for replacement of existing infrastructure, customer growth, residential new home construction and sales, project scheduling and continued refinement of project scope and costs. There is no assurance that projected customer growth and residential new home construction and sales will occur.

Litigation – The Company is a defendant in lawsuits in the normal course of business. We believe the resolution of pending claims and legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Change in Control Agreements – The Company has Change in Control Agreements with certain of its officers that provide compensation and benefits in the event of termination of employment in connection with a change in control of the Company.