Illinois American Water Highlights Water Quality Reports During National Drinking Water Week

BELLEVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--During National Drinking Water Week (May 5 -11), Illinois American Water is announcing the 2018 Water Quality Reports and highlighting the company’s water quality track record.

Also known as the Consumer Confidence Report, the water quality report describes local drinking water source information and test results, including all substances detected in the water and their levels. Customers can search for their local water quality report by zip code on the company’s website at www.illinoisamwater.com under Water Quality. The reports highlight the company’s commitment to providing drinking water that meets or is better than standards required by the Environmental Protection Agency.

According to Randy Pankiewicz, Illinois American Water Director of Water Quality and Compliance, drinking water week is a good reminder of the critical role water plays in daily life. He said, “We can’t live without clean, safe water, yet so many take it and the treatment and delivery needed to get it to our taps for granted. That’s why our team works so hard to not only provide the best product possible, but to educate about water service and the importance of water system investments.”

He pointed to a national study of drinking water quality violations published last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study – “National Trends in Drinking Water Quality” – is the first-ever study to assess trends in drinking water quality violations across several decades. It includes analysis of factors that lead to higher rates of violations. USA Today, The New York Times, Science Magazine and other notable media outlets covered the findings. A reoccurring theme reported was “Privately owned utilities are less vulnerable to violations than systems under public ownership. The probability of a violation for a privately owned utility is significantly lower than a government owned utility.”

Pankiewicz said, “We’re proud of our track record of not only meeting water quality standards, but going above and beyond what is required. We believe our customers should receive the best product possible; this is why Illinois American Water proactively invests $70-$100 million across the state annually.”

He added, “When investments are delayed, water quality and service reliability can be impacted, hindering fire protection, economic development and public health. This is why several communities are partnering with Illinois American Water to acquire their systems and ensure critical investments are made. We’re proud to be a trusted leader in the water industry.”

To hear from communities Illinois American Water has partnered with, visit https://amwater.com/ilaw/about-us/doing-business-with-us. During National Drinking Water Week, customers are also encouraged to visit www.illinoisamwater.com to view their local water quality report. If a customer desires a printed copy of the annual report, they can call 800-422-2782 and have it mailed to them.

About Illinois American Water - Illinois 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 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. 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 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to over 14 million people in 45 states and Ontario, Canada. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.