BELLEVILLE – Amidst the current COVID-19 public health emergency, consistent with Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order, Illinois American Water employees continue to work to provide reliable water and/or wastewater service.
According to Vice President of Operations Beth Matthews, the company has implemented a business continuity plan and provided critical personal protection equipment to protect employees. She said, “We are doing all we can to protect our colleagues and customers while we continue to provide a critical service. Unfortunately, we continue to have customers approach our folks in the field. This presents a safety concern which can be avoided with the public’s help and social distancing.”
She continued, “The safety of our team is extremely important, so we ask our customers to not approach our employees or contractors when they see them in their neighborhood. We ask that customers follow social distancing recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by keeping at least 6 feet (2 meters) between our employees and customers.
“If there is a question about service, customers can call Illinois American Water’s customer service center at (800) 422-2782. Representatives are available weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to assist. Representatives are also available 24/7 for emergencies. As a water and wastewater service provider, Illinois American Water provides safe, clean and reliable water service. Water and wastewater utilities are part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “critical infrastructure sectors,” as safe drinking water is critical to protecting public health, and properly treated wastewater is vital for preventing disease and protecting the environment.
“Our employees’ safety is a top concern, as is providing quality, reliable service,” said Matthews. “We recognize this is a time of uncertainty and challenging time, and we thank our dedicated, hard-working teams for rising to this challenge.”
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 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 6,800 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 make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
