American Water Honored with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2011 WaterSense Excellence Award

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Voorhees, NJ - October 25, 2011 - American Water Works Company, Inc. AWK +0.94%  , the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, today announced it is a recipient of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2011 WaterSense Excellence Award, announced on October 5. The award was presented in recognition of the company's role as lead partner with the EPA in the agency's "We're for Water" consumer education campaign. American Water was the only water company honored with the award, capping a milestone year in which the company celebrated its 125th Anniversary with a series of consumer education efforts designed to underscore the value of water and the importance of preserving this precious resource.

American Water President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Sterba commented, "We are honored to be named as a recipient of a WaterSense Excellence Award. It's vitally important to our country's future that water resources are valued and used wisely, and American Water is proud to help educate consumers about this issue and to continue our longstanding partnership with the EPA's WaterSense program."

American Water helped the EPA plan and execute logistics for the WaterSense "We're for Water" campaign kick-off event in Los Angeles and culmination event in Chatham Twp., N.J. in summer 2010. The initiative included water conservation challenges at both events, a 16 state cross-country tour, and the promotion of water conservation messages nationwide. American Water also collaborates annually with the EPA's "Fix a Leak Week" initiative, and additionally, instituted a series of state specific programs that included water conservation audits, leak detection, and even the installation of water-saving fixtures, or rebates on WaterSense labeled products.

American Water continued its consumer education outreach throughout 2011 as a cornerstone of its 125th Anniversary Celebration. In partnership with the EPA's WaterSense program and the Student Conservation Association (SCA), American Water created the Save Water Today celebrity public service campaign. This series of 30-second spots has aired on more than 80 television stations in 24 markets across the U.S. The PSAs and additional water-saving tips are also available at www.SaveWaterToday.org .

About WaterSense

WaterSense, a partnership program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. WaterSense brings together a variety of stakeholders to:

-- Promote the value of water efficiency

-- Provide consumers with easy ways to save water, as both a label for products and an information resource to help people use water more efficiently.

-- Encourage innovation in manufacturing.

-- Decrease water use and reduce strain on water resources and infrastructure.

The program seeks to help consumers make smart water choices that save money and maintain high environmental standards without compromising performance. Products and services that have earned the WaterSense label have been certified to be at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance. Learn more at www.epa.gov/watersense .

About American Water

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in more than 30 states as well as parts of Canada. More information can be found at www.amwater.com .

In 2011, American Water is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a yearlong campaign to promote water efficiency and the importance of protecting water from source to tap. To learn more, visit www.amwater125.com .

 

Contacts: Student Conservation Association
Deirdre Fitzgerald (603) 504-3263 dfitzgerald@theSCA.org   American Water Denise Venuti Free 856-309-4690 denise.free@amwater.com   SCA17778