“We have an excellent relationship with this region and we are delighted to expand our customer base to include Tuxedo and Orange County,” said United Water president Robert Iacullo. “South County has earned the respect of its customers, who will find that we are equally committed to quality and service. We especially look forward to demonstrating our expertise in water and wastewater services for our new commercial customers, IBM and International Paper.”

Lou Heimbach, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Sterling Forest LLC, which founded Sterling Forest Water Corporation in 1961, the predecessor of South County, said of the agreement, “After a long and deliberate process, we have reached an agreement to sell South County Water and Sewer. Among the many sensitivities that arose in selling businesses with such an important place in our history is that the purchaser would continue to provide the highest level of service to our existing customers and it would become our water provider at Sterling Forge Estates, our estate home and golf course development. We are satisfied that United Water is the right provider for our customers and that their commitment to quality is exemplary.”

Sterling Forest LLC is one of the longest-tenured of Tuxedo’s businesses – managing the development and use of as much as 22,000 acres of land over nearly 50 years until it began selling large parcels as parkland in 1989. The company has developed some 230 homes, one million square feet of commercial space, a ski center, and water and sewage utilities, and currently holds two development parcels and an office building.

United Water, one of the largest water services companies in the U.S., provides water and wastewater service to more than 7.5 million people. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ondeo Services, the world’s leader in water and wastewater management services, serving more than 115 million people in over 130 countries. Ondeo, which also provides a full range of water-related services to more than 60,000 industrial clients, is part of the Suez Group (NYSE:SZE).