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American Water Announces Publication of Latest Sustainability Report

Demonstrating American Water’s Continued Commitment to Serving Our Customers and Our Communities

Camden, N.J. American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, announced today it has issued its sixth biennial Sustainability Report covering its industry leading performance in 2019 and 2020. 

“At American Water, delivering a reliable supply of safe, clean and affordable water service to our customers and treating their wastewater is fundamental to our business. We are committed to limiting our impact on the environment while strengthening the communities we serve,” said Walter Lynch, President and CEO of American Water. “It is because of this ongoing commitment to integrating environmental, social and governance principles throughout our business that American Water continues to be recognized for our leadership.”

American Water prepared the Sustainability Report in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards: Core option. In this report, we also disclose several standards from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). In addition, we reference the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations, providing information and data related to our approach to managing climate risk across the enterprise. We also take into consideration the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and we submit responses to the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) and CDP Climate Change annually.

Some performance highlights from the report include:

  • Inclusion & Diversity: 59% Minority, Female, Veteran or Disable Candidates Transferred or Promoted in 2020.
  • Energy & Emissions: Reduced GHG emissions 36% toward the 2025 goal of 40%.
  • Capital Investment: $10.3 – 10.5 Billion in capital investments from 2021 – 2025.
  • Water Infrastructure: Since 2014, pipe renewal rate averaged approximately 135 year cycle: 27% better than U.S. water industry average.
  • Occupational Health & Safety: 67% reduction in workplace injuries since 2015.
  • Corporate Governance & Business Ethics: 72.7% of American Water’s Board of Directors are Female, Veteran, or Racially Diverse.
  • Local Communities: Since its inception in 2012, the American Water Charitable Foundation has invested more than $7.2 million in programs and organizations that are important to our employees and our communities.

American Water has received various awards and recognitions demonstrating our ESG related accomplishments, some examples include: 

  • #15 on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies list; highest ranked utility;
  • Top scoring (100%) company on the Disability Equality Index; three consecutive years;
  • Top 100 Best for Vets Employers by Military Times;
  • Inclusion in the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index;
  • Ranked 9th on Corporate Knights’ Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World index.

The full report can be found in the Sustainability Report section of the company’s website.

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.


Media Contacts

Joseph Szafran

External Affairs Manager

(856) 955-4304

joseph.szafran@amwater.com