Aqua America Continues to Flourish on the Upside

Aqua America (WTR) on August 3, 2005 announced a 10 percent increase in its dividend to $0.57 per year, a four-for-three stock spilt and excellent second quarter earnings.

Aqua America Chairman and CEO Nicholas DeBenedictis said, "Continuing to reward our shareholders with increasing dividends is a top priority for the Aqua America Board. We are pleased to be able to increase the dividend above our targeted five percent increase for the seventh year in a row. These increases allow our shareholders to benefit from Aqua America's financial success as we continue to focus on increasing shareholder value. Additionally, in years when we split the stock, we typically boost the dividend to an above-average increase." WTR has increased its dividend 15 times in 14 years.

WTR is an excellent stock to hold in a long-term dividend reinvestment portfolio.