BELLEVILLE — In conjunction with the American Water Works Association (AWWA), Illinois American Water will participate in the first 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. 26 – Oct. 1.
“Though we have come a long way in understanding and treating water sources, there is still a lot of work to be done and challenges to overcome,” said Rachel Bretz, Director of Environmental Compliance and Water Quality at Illinois American Water. “Every single day, a person turns on his or her tap to bathe; brush teeth; or drink, cook and clean. Unless the person notices something unusual, they may not give another thought to where that water comes from or what could affect its quality. That is where this week’s focus on source water comes in.”
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, clean water from various sources. These include:
Nearly 1 million tests and measurements that are conducted each year at American Water’s state-of-the-art research laboratories around the country.
The innovation of the most advanced technology, equipment, and filtration processes (to date, American Water has examined over 600 technologies and is actively pursuing partnerships for better efficiencies); and Vigorous collaborative work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other state and local agencies to meet and/or surpass water quality standards and address emerging water contaminants so that potential impacts to water quality are minimized.
Customers are encouraged to view a short video about Illinois American Water here. “The key to making this week successful is for our dedication to trickle down to the individuals, businesses and communities we serve,” said Bretz. “Hopefully by seeing what we do in action and by bringing this important topic to the surface, we can achieve it.”
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.
- Dispose of chemicals, unused medicines 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.
Learn more at https://www.amwater.com/corp/Water-Quality-Wastewater-Service/source-water-protection.
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 7,000 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 help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
