SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H2O America (NASDAQ:HTO) announces the appointment of Nick O. Rowe to the H2O America board of directors effective, Mar. 1.

Rowe has been a leader in the drinking water industry for 39 years. Prior to his retirement in 2022, he was the senior vice president of American Water Works Company (American Water) and president of its subsidiary, Kentucky American Water Company. During his tenure at American Water, he held multiple executive leadership roles focused on operations and long-term value creation. Rowe also has extensive water utility experience in customer service, regulatory compliance, and local stakeholder relationships.

"Nick is a proven leader in the water utility industry and will bring considerable experience to our board," said H2O America Chair and CEO Andrew F. Walters. "He also brings a deep commitment to servant leadership that aligns closely with H2O America's culture of service to customers, communities, employees, shareholders and the environment. We are thrilled to have his perspective on our board."

Rowe has served in many leadership roles throughout his career, including:

Board chair of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Board member of the Lexington Clinic
Board member First Security Bank
Past chair of the Kentucky Governor's Higher Education Nominating Committee

Rowe is currently a principal at NOR Solutions, a consulting firm that is focused on organizational leadership training.

He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering; he also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. In addition, he completed the Thames Water Oxford Leadership and RWE International Leadership programs.

About H2O America

H2O America is among the largest investor-owned pure-play water and wastewater utilities in the United States, providing life-sustaining and high-quality water service to over 1.6 million people. H2O America's locally led and operated water utilities - San Jose Water Company in California, The Connecticut Water Company in Connecticut, The Maine Water Company in Maine, and SJWTX, Inc. (dba The Texas Water Company) in Texas - possess the financial strength, operational expertise, and technological innovation to safeguard the environment, deliver outstanding service to customers, and provide opportunities to employees. H2O America remains focused on investing in its operations, remaining actively engaged in its local communities, and delivering continued sustainable value to its stockholders. For more information about H2O America, please visit www.h2o-america.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws relating to future events and future results of H2O America and its subsidiaries that are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about H2O America and its subsidiaries and the industries in which H2O America and its subsidiaries operate and the beliefs and assumptions of the management of H2O America. Some of these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believes," "expects," "estimates," "anticipates," "intends," "seeks," "plans," "projects," "may," "should," "will," "approximately," "strategy," or the negative of those words or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.

The accuracy of such statements is subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions including, but not limited to, the following factors: (1) the risks associated with the proposed Quadvest and Cibolo Valley transactions, including, the risk of the proposed transactions not closing on the anticipated timeline, or at all, the ability to obtain required regulatory approvals, and the ability to successfully integrate Quadvest's and Cibolo Valley's operations and realize the projected financial and other benefits of the proposed transactions; (2) the effect of water, utility, environmental and other governmental policies and regulations, including regulatory actions concerning rates, authorized return on equity, authorized capital structures, capital expenditures, PFAS and other decisions; (3) changes in demand for water and other services; (4) unanticipated weather conditions and changes in seasonality including those affecting water supply and customer usage; (5) the effect of the impact of climate change; (6) unexpected costs, charges or expenses; (7) our ability to successfully evaluate investments in new business and growth initiatives; (8) contamination of our water supplies and damage or failure of our water equipment and infrastructure; (9) the risk of work stoppages, strikes and other labor-related actions; (10) catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, floods, ice storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, terrorist acts, physical attacks, cyber-attacks, epidemic, or similar occurrences; (11) changes in general economic, political, legislative, business and financial market conditions; and (12) the ability to obtain financing on favorable terms, or at all (including the financing for the proposed transactions with Quadvest in a timely manner), which can be affected by various factors, including credit ratings, changes in interest rates, compliance with regulatory requirements, compliance with the terms and conditions of our outstanding indebtedness, and general market and economic conditions. The risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of H2O America to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

H2O America Contacts:

Media:

Dan Meaney

Director of Communications

MediaRelations@H2O-America.com

Investors:

Jonathan Reeder

Senior Director of Treasury and Investor Relations

475.414.1034

Jonathan.Reeder@H2O-America.com

H2O America Announces Appointment of Nick O. Rowe to Board of Directors