American Water Encourages Customers to Prepare for Hurricane Season

Business Wire

12 hours ago

BUSINESS WIRE)--American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S., provides tips for customers and the general public to help prepare for hurricane season. Whether in the path of a hurricane or facing lesser storms, it is important to be aware of and prepare for extreme weather events.
'Effective storm preparedness is achieved through long-term planning and execution of a capital investment strategy, rather than reacting to forecasts or conditions during the storm itself," said Cheryl Norton, EVP & COO, American Water.
'American Water is committed to taking proactive steps to help ensure our drinking water and wastewater systems remain resilient and our teams are ready to respond quickly and safely to weather-related events,' said Cheryl Norton, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, American Water. 'We encourage our customers to prepare as well by taking simple steps like storing emergency water supplies and staying informed.'
In the event of a hurricane or extreme weather incident, American Water advises customers to take the following precautions ahead of time, including:
Conserving water for essential needs;
Filling your bathtub and other watertight containers with water in advance of the storm's arrival should water service be disrupted;
If you are asked to evacuate or if you decide to evacuate, consider closing your home's main water shut off valve;
Creating an emergency plan to keep everyone in your household on the same page if disaster strikes; and
Tracking the latest weather updates—protect yourself and your loved ones and equip your home to best battle this season's storms.
As the country continues to face more extreme weather events, American Water recognizes the need to continue investing in critical water infrastructure. Over the next 10 years, American Water plans to invest $40–$42 billion in capital improvements to its systems, largely for pipe replacement and upgrading aging water and wastewater treatment facilities. Capital investments, in parallel with continuous improvement, diligent cost management, and technology enhancements, help the company continue to maximize efficiency while serving customers' needs.
'Effective storm preparedness is achieved through long-term planning and execution of a capital investment strategy, rather than reacting to forecasts or conditions during the storm itself. American Water continues to invest significantly in resiliency projects to address the impacts of climate variability by hardening its assets. Consistent, proactive investment into our systems builds resiliency and sustainability of operations year-round including during extreme weather events,' said Norton.
One example is the $37 million flood protection project at the Raritan-Millstone Plant, the largest facility in New Jersey's American Water system, which supplies water to more than one million people across seven counties, to strengthen the plant's resilience against severe weather events. The value of this investment was demonstrated during Tropical Storm Ida , when the newly constructed wall kept the facility dry and fully operational when the areas outside the treatment plant were flooded.
Another example is the Pennsylvania American Water Lake Scranton Dams. The Labyrinth Spillways were retrofitted into existing dams to extend the flow area and prevent a spillway failure during high rain. This type of capital improvement significantly mitigates risk to the dam structure as more frequent and intense weather events occur.
Investing in water and wastewater infrastructure resilience now is important to address the convergence of factors of water insecurity, aging infrastructure and climate variability.
Visit www.ready.gov for more tips and information on severe weather preparation.
Additionally, the American Water Charitable Foundation, a philanthropic non-profit organization established by American Water, recently announced that it has again donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross, continuing its membership in the Disaster Responder Program. Proactively funding disaster relief helps ensure the Red Cross is better prepared to meet the needs of those affected by disasters, both big and small, across the U.S.
About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water's 6,700 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.