{"schema_version":"secwatch.filing_event.v1","accession":"0001552781-26-000331","form_type":"8-K","ticker":"WTRG","cik":"0000078128","company_name":"Essential Utilities, Inc.","filed_at":"2026-05-15T13:00:19+00:00","discovered_at":"2026-05-15T13:02:00.263569+00:00","generated_at":"2026-05-15T13:02:34.417016+00:00","sec_items":["7.01","9.01"],"event_type":"m_and_a","sentiment":"positive","materiality_score":0.75,"calibrated_materiality_score":0.75,"confidence":"high","headline":"PUCO approves Essential Utilities & American Water merger; second regulatory nod","bullets":["PUCO issued order approving all-stock merger announced Oct 27, 2025.","Kentucky approved the merger on April 21, 2026; shareholder approvals already obtained.","Combined company to serve >4.7M water/wastewater and >740K gas connections; HQ in Camden, NJ.","Expected close by end of Q1 2027, subject to HSR clearance and remaining utility commission approvals."],"urls":{"canonical":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001552781-26-000331","json":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001552781-26-000331.json","markdown":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001552781-26-000331.md","text":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001552781-26-000331.txt","edgar_index":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/78128/000155278126000331/0001552781-26-000331-index.htm","edgar_primary_document":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/78128/000155278126000331/e26263_wtrg-8k.htm"},"model":{"generated_by":"deepseek-v4-flash:cloud@v2","generated_at":"2026-05-15T13:02:34.417016+00:00"},"review":{"review_status":"machine_generated","human_reviewed":false,"corrected":false,"correction_note":null,"correction_timestamp":null,"superseded_by":null,"related_filings":[]},"source_grounded_claims":[],"license":"Source filings: public domain (SEC EDGAR). Summaries (headline + bullets): CC-BY-4.0; attribute https://secwatch.observer"}