TIDEWATER UTILITIES, INC. ANNOUNCES WATER OPERATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

CONTACT: Gerard L. Esposito, President or Carol S. Murphy, Customer/Community Outreach Coordinator (302) 734-7500

Dover, Delaware (May, 2005) Paul Peris of Tidewater Utilities, Inc. has been awarded the Delaware Water Operator of the Year Award.  Mr. Peris has been a Water Operator and Level II Wastewater Operator for the company since November, 2001 and is currently responsible for Tidewater’s southern New Castle County and northern Kent County water plant facilities which include the responsibility of 15 plants.

Mr. Peris of Hartly, DE was selected for the industry award which recognized him for his demonstrated outstanding technical excellence and exemplary work ethic contributing to the high level of water quality in Delaware.  He was presented with a monetary award at the luncheon ceremony provided by the Delaware Technical & Community College, Environmental Training Center along with public officials, industry operators and managers on Thursday, May 5^thin Georgetown, DE.  Mr. Peris is the fourth operator on Tidewater’s staff to receive this award.  The other operators were: Scott Walls, Sam Schlegel and Clarence Quillen.

Tidewater Utilities, Inc. has been serving residents throughout Delaware since 1964.  It presently serves over 27,000 retail customers exclusively south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.  Through its affiliated companies, Tidewater serves a wide range of water and wastewater services including consulting, contract operations, maintenance and bulk water supply.  We are a part of our parent Middlesex Water family of Companies and are traded on the NASDAQ as MSEX.