Climate Change

American Water shares many of the concerns of our stakeholders regarding climate change, which will have widespread implications for nearly all water providers. Climate change is greatly affecting weather patterns, causing poor water quality and scarcity, putting significant stress on water infrastructure, and having a significant effect on how communities can reliably access clean water both now and in the future.

All water companies must address the adverse impacts of climate change on their operations as the frequency and severity of the impacts grow over the next century. Climate change is and will continue to have a significant effect on how communities can reliably access clean water both now and in the future.

For U.S. water providers, addressing the impact of climate change will require identifying practical solutions that balance the growing demand for water in a way that is environmentally responsible. This includes finding solutions to maintain adequate levels of water supply to communities; ensuring high standards of water quality in the face of droughts or increased flooding; and balancing the need for infrastructure improvements while keeping this vital resource as affordable as possible.

It also means remaining committed to developing new projects and processes in an environmentally sustainable manner and continuing to explore ways to reduce the environmental impact of our existing operations. This approach is driven by our environmental policy, communicated to employees via training and awareness building, incorporated into our planning process and documented in operational procedures.

While the water utility industry must demonstrate leadership, it cannot succeed alone. A unified effort between government, businesses, and consumers is needed to implement near-term solutions and develop broad strategies to address the adverse impacts of global warming on the water industry and the global water supply. Policy changes, funding for infrastructure, development of alternative water supplies, and public education will all be necessary in order to make significant progress. As the issues are vast, actions must be undertaken by the both public and private sectors in order to effectively address the challenges of climate change that lie ahead.

Visit our other sections
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Reducing Energy Use