Living Water Award 2024 Nominee

Megan Hannah

Senior Manager, Government and External Affairs, West Virginia American Water

In February 2023, the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment threatened the Ohio River, a water source for some West Virginia American Water customers. Facing potential impacts in four days, Megan and her team launched a nine-day crisis communication plan to keep customers, stakeholders, regulators, and media informed. They formed an Incident Command Team (ICT), utilized their Source Water Protection Program, coordinated with multiple agencies, and relied on strong contractor relationships. Their resilient plans and employees ensured customers had access to clean, safe water. The response was unanimously positive, and the team is now winning public relations awards.