BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aqua America, Inc. (NYSE: WTR) announced today that Christopher S. Crockett has joined the company as its chief environmental officer. Crockett was previously deputy commissioner for planning and environmental services at the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), where he has worked since 1995.

In his new role, Crockett will be responsible for overseeing water quality and environmental compliance for all of Aqua's drinking water and wastewater systems in eight states. Crockett will also manage Aqua's in-house water and wastewater laboratory as well as the company's water quality services and water resources engineering departments.

“We are excited to have someone with Chris’ depth of experience and knowledge join our team,” said Aqua America’s Chief Operating Officer Rick Fox. “Chris has more than 20 years of experience in the water, storm water and wastewater industry and comes to us from his most recent post at PWD, where he served as deputy commissioner for planning and environmental services. He has participated in and led many innovative projects, including many that improve the environment and have a positive impact on water quality and operations performance, including an ongoing and successful effort by PWD to significantly reduce the amount of rain that enters the city’s sewer system.”

Crockett, a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania, is a Drexel University alumnus who earned his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, and his Master of Science and Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the university where he is also an adjunct professor.

Crockett is an active member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and is a member of the organization’s Journal AWWA Peer Review Editorial Board. He is chairman of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies’ Climate Change and Resilience Committee and a board member of the Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin.

Aqua America is one of the largest U.S.-based, publicly traded water utilities and serves nearly 3 million people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Indiana and Virginia. Aqua America is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol WTR. Visit AquaAmerica.com for more information.