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Join New Jersey American Water in Celebrating the First Annual Source Water Protection Week

CAMDEN, N.J. – SEPT. 28, 2021 – In conjunction with the American Water Works Association (AWWA), New Jersey American Water is excited to announce its participation in the first annual Source Water Protection Week celebrated across North America. The company will be highlighting the collaborative efforts needed to protect sources of water used as drinking water supplies and how to protect and preserve our world’s most precious natural resource. Source Water Protection Week will be observed nationwide from September 26 – October 1 and will educate and engage the public on actions we can all take to help protect and improve drinking water sources.

“Though we have come a long way in understanding and treating water sources, there is still a lot of work to be done and challenges to overcome, the hardest being that water is often taken for granted,” said Matthew Csik, Director of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance, New Jersey American Water. “Every single day, a person turns on his or her tap to bathe; brush teeth; or drink, cook and clean. Unless the person notices something unusual, they may not give another thought to where that water comes from or what could affect its quality. That is where this week’s focus on source water comes in.”

New Jersey American Water will be using this opportunity to educate its customers and communities throughout the week about the specific steps taken to help deliver safe, clean water from various sources. These include:

  • Over 100,000 samples that are conducted each year at our certified laboratories and the company’s state-of-the-art research laboratory;
  • The innovation of advanced technology, equipment, and filtration processes. To date, New Jersey American Water’s parent company, American Water, has examined more than 600 technologies and is actively pursuing a dozen partnerships to create better efficiencies; and
  • Vigorous collaborative work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) to meet and/or surpass water quality standards and address emerging compounds so that potential impacts to water quality are minimized.

“The key to making this week successful is for our dedication to trickle down to the individuals, businesses and communities we serve,” added Csik. “Hopefully by seeing what we do in action and by bringing this important topic to the surface, we can achieve that.”

To bring attention to the role we all play in helping the environment, New Jersey American Water will be highlighting its drinking water sources from around the state on its social media channels throughout the week and encouraging individuals to take actions to help protect them. Simple steps individuals can start with include the following:

  1. Be conscious of daily water use and take the necessary steps in the home to be water smart and help preserve this essential natural resource, which can also have an impact on reducing monthly bills.
  2. Be sure that leaking pipes and faucets—indoors and outdoors—are repaired.
  3. Take care when using garden, lawn, garage and other home products, so they do not inadvertently find their way into water sources.
  4. Dispose of chemicals, unused medicine or other potentially harmful products in a legal and proper manner. Do not put them directly into home drains, the sewer, street drains or the lawn.

For more information about New Jersey American Water’s source water protection efforts and for more tips on how to protect source water and our watersheds, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com.

New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.8 million people. For more information, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com and follow New Jersey American Water on Twitter and Facebook.


Media Contacts

Erin Banes

Specialist, External Affairs

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erin.banes@amwater.com