In conjunction with the American Water Works Association (AWWA), Illinois American Water will participate in the second annual Source Water Protection Week. The company will highlight collaborative efforts needed to protect sources of water used as drinking water supplies and how to protect our world’s most precious natural resource. Source Water Protection Week is observed Sept. 25 – Oct. 1. Illinois American Water continuously educates customers about source water protection through bill messaging, customer emails, annual water quality reports and social media posts.

“Each system we operate requires constant testing and maintenance to provide a high-quality product to our customers,” said Rachel Bretz, director of environmental compliance and water quality at Illinois American Water. “Our team knows at the end of each tap someone is using our product to make their morning coffee, brush their teeth, drink, cook, clean and more. Focusing on the source and ways everyone can protect the source is just as important as every test we conduct to deliver safe, reliable service.”

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

• Testing for about 100 regulated contaminants as required by state and federal drinking water standards.
• Utilizing advanced technology and detection methods that are paving the way for source water protection.
• Implementing green technology whenever possible to protect our precious resources.

“This week is another opportunity to educate our customers and share ways they can protect our world’s most precious resource,” said Bretz. “By sharing useful tips, we can help facilitate action.”

Illinois American Water encourages the following actions during Source Water Protection Week, and year-round.

• 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.
• Be sure that leaking pipes and faucets—indoors and outdoors—are repaired.
• Take care when using garden, lawn, garage and other home products, so they do not find their way into water.
• Check for leaks from automobiles and fuel tanks. Clean up any spills using an absorbent material like cat litter. Sweep up the material and put it in a sealed bag.
• Clean up after your pets and limit the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
• Dispose of chemicals, unused medications 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.

Customers can find their water quality report online by clicking here and are encouraged to view a short video about Illinois American Water here. Learn more about source water protection here and on Illinois American Water’s Facebook page.

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 wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates 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 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com. Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

ILLINOIS AMERICAN WATER WAS RANKED HIGHEST IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH LARGE WATER UTILITIES IN THE MIDWEST THREE YEARS IN A ROW!

For J.D. Power 2022 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.

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