American Water Receives Four National Awards for Excellence in Water Quality

VOORHEES, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK), the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, is proud to announce the achievement of four Partnership for Safe Water awards. One plant is receiving a Presidents Award, one plant is receiving an award for maintaining Phase III certification for five years and two systems are being presented with the company’s first-ever Phase III Directors Award for Distribution System Optimization Program. The awards were presented today during the 2014 American Water Works Association Annual Conference in Boston, Mass.

Pennsylvania American Water’s Philipsburg Water Treatment Plant has received the elite Phase IV Presidents Award recognition. Phase IV goals are the highest possible level of performance that can be achieved in the four-phase program. The Presidents’ Award recognizes achieving Phase IV’s very stringent individual filter performance goals for turbidity. Pennsylvania American Water’s facility has been participating in the Partnership since 1996, and is a member of the distribution system program. The Philipsburg plant received its first Directors Award in 1999. It is the first plant in American Water’s footprint and only the fourth treatment plant in Pennsylvania to receive the Presidents Award.

“Having one of our plants reach such an elite status is a very significant achievement in our ongoing efforts to meet stringent performance goals,” said Susan Story, President and Chief Executive Officer. “At American Water, we hold ourselves to the highest standards in delivering clean, high-quality drinking water to the people we serve – so we're pleased to be among the select few companies to achieve this national recognition from the Partnership. This accomplishment is a true testament to our employees’ expertise, dedication to excellence and commitment to protecting public health.”

Another Pennsylvania American Water facility, the Huntsville Water Treatment Plant, is also being recognized in 2014 for maintaining the Phase III Directors Award status for five years. With a total of 68 surface water treatment plants recognized, American Water accounts for about 30 percent of all plants that have received the Phase III award nationwide.

American Water’s Military Services Group is being recognized with Phase III Directors Award for Distribution System Optimization Program for the water distribution systems it manages for Fort Leavenworth, Kan. and Scott Air Force Base, Ill. These are American Water’s first distribution systems to receive this award and account for 33% of all the distribution systems that have received this award. They were selected for successfully completing a comprehensive self-assessment of water distribution system operations, a significant achievement towards ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality drinking water to the community. The self-assessment includes evaluating distribution system operations and performance, identifying performance limiting factors, and developing action plans to optimize the distribution system. The assessment culminates in a final report reviewed by water resources professionals from across the U.S.

The Partnership for Safe Water Program is a voluntary initiative developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other water organizations that is designed to increase protection against microbial contamination through treatment and distribution optimization. As a member of the Partnership for Safe Water, American Water demonstrates its commitment to improve the quality of drinking water delivered to customers by optimizing system operations.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs approximately 6,600 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 14 million people in more than 40 states as well as parts of Canada. More information can be found at www.amwater.com.

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