In conjunction with the American Water Works Association (AWWA), 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,” said Jennifer Heymann, Senior Project Manager, Environmental and Water Quality at American Water. “The hardest being that water is often taken for granted. 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.”

In addition, American Water will be taking the opportunity to educate their customers and communities throughout the week about the specific steps taken to help deliver safe, clean water from various sources. These include:

• Nearly 1 million tests and measurements that are conducted each year at American Water’s state-of-the-art research laboratories around the country;
• The innovation of the most advanced technology, equipment, and filtration processes (to date, 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 other state and local agencies to meet and/or exceed water quality standards and address emerging water contaminants 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 Heymann. “Hopefully by seeing what we do in action and by bringing this important topic to the surface, we can achieve it.”

To bring attention to the role we all play in helping the environment, American Water encourages individuals to take the following actions during Source Water Protection Week, then work to put that action into year-round practice.

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 medicines 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 on American Water, visit amwater.com. For more information on Source Water Protection Week, visit https://www.amwater.com/corp/Water-Quality-Wastewater-Service/source-water-protection.

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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