NAWC National Association of Water Companies
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Clean and safe water when we need it-
Nothing is more important.

America’s professional water companies are helping keep the water flowing. Our frontline employees live and work in the communities we serve and are focused on providing clean and safe water that you can rely on.

Learn more about how we deliver safe,
clean, and reliable water to your community.

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ABOUT AMERICA’S PROFESSIONAL
WATER COMPANIES

Water professionals proudly serve and partner with municipalities across the country. Here are some fast facts and key stats for understanding our industry:

  • We keep clean water flowing to millions of households. America’s water companies serve more than 73 million Americans, delivering 4.5 billion gallons of drinking water every day and maintaining 100,000 miles of pipes.
  • We have a great record of delivering clean water and support regulations to address "forever chemicals." American’s water companies have a better safety record than traditional public utilities. According to EPA data, publicly operated water utilities are 24% more likely to violate the Safe Drinking Water Act than America’s water companies.
  • We uphold strict quality standards to ensure healthy water at a fair price. Each state’s public utility commission sets water rates for America’s water companies through a process called a rate case. These water rates are both fair to consumers and allow water companies to make the investments in water system infrastructure needed to keep the water supply safe.
Drinking Water

4.5 billion
gallons of drinking
water delivered

USA
NAWC water
companies serve
73 million
Americans
Pipes
Water companies
maintain
100,000 miles
of pipes
Robert Powelson
“So-called ‘forever chemicals’ don’t have to be in our water forever. America’s professional water companies have the tools and are part of the solution in getting these contaminants out of our drinking water.”

Robert F. Powelson, President and Chief Executive Officer,
National Association of Water Companies

For more information on what professional water companies are doing to combat forever chemicals, click here.

NAWC National Association of Water Companies

PROFESSIONAL WATER COMPANIES HAVE HIGHER WATER COMPLIANCE

Proof is in the Percentages The numbers below indicate how much less likely professionally owned systems are to have water violations than municipal systems in these states.
4 states stats

Based on EPA Data, 1992-2015

America’s professional water companies meet the highest standards of quality and safety.

  • Professional water companies are held to additional oversight and achieve higher compliance standards than public water utilities.
  • Professional water companies outperform government-run systems on Safe Drinking Water Act standards according to an analysis of data from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Learn more about the benefits of working with a water company here.

AMERICA’S WATER COMPANIES MAINTAIN FOCUS ON CUSTOMERS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

THANK YOU TO THE MEMBER COMPANIES WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS CAMPAIGN

Epcor
Southwest Water Company
Suez
California Water Service
American Water
Golden State Water Company A Subsidiary of American States Water Company
San Jose Water
MUELLER
Middlesex Water Company
Aqua Essential Utilities Company
NAWC National Association of Water Companies
The National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) member companies provide 73 million Americans with safe and reliable water service every day and have an exceptional record of compliance with federal and state health and environmental regulations. For more information, visit www.nawc.org.
Two Liberty Place
50 S. 16th St. Suite 2725
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: (267) 691-7765   
Email: info@nawc.com

© NAWC. All rights reserved.

EPCOR Goes the Distance to Turn On Vista Ridge Pipeline

EPCOR VistaOn April 15, during the early heights of the COVID-19 pandemic, in one of the first American cities to be impacted by the virus–EPCOR USA accomplished the Herculean task of turning on Vista Ridge.

The nation’s largest water supply public-private partnership, Vista Ridge, is designed to deliver nearly 45 million gallons of water daily from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer to San Antonio residents, under a long-term contract with the San Antonio Water System (SAWS).

The company rose to challenge and brought together a new on-the-ground team to work under distancing conditions to complete the massive project–143 miles of 60-inch pipeline, six cooling towers, three pump stations, three 4 million-gallon storage tanks, two 10 million-gallon storage tanks and 18 wells tapping into the aquifer.

Employees who had never met before weren’t just bringing their individual skills to the project–they were creating a well-oiled team of water experts to turn on one of the industry’s most-watched projects. The end result? A smooth transition into full operations that has already delivered over 1.5 billion gallons of water to one of the fastest-growing cities in America.

SUEZ TO DONATE $1.75 MILLION TO CHARITIES ON FRONT LINES CONFRONTING COVID-19

Suez StoryIn the face of a pandemic that has created unprecedented suffering, SUEZ, which operates in North America as SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions and SUEZ North America, is earmarking a donation of $1.75 million that will be directed to food pantries, health care facilities, United Way, and similar COVID-19 emergency response organizations.

“We are redirecting our philanthropic focus during this crisis from major environmental initiatives to helping those charitable organizations serving on the front lines who require immediate, substantial, and sustained assistance,” said Nadine Leslie, Chief Executive Officer of SUEZ North America. “This virus has had a huge impact on our society and we cannot be idle as an organization when so many people, many of whom have dedicated their lives to helping others, now need our help.”

SUEZ plans to contribute to several organizations that can have an immediate impact on communities across North America:

  • United Way –$650,000 to United Way
  • Feeding America® –$500,000 to the U.S. hunger-relief organization
  • Local public health organizations –$600,000 to help address local COVID-19 health needs
  • Surgical and N95 respirator masks –10,000 protective masks from Suez’s operations to local hospital systems in communities the company serves

 

NAWC Member Companies Proactively Suspend Shutoffs As Pandemic Hits

NAWC StoryWe are keeping the water flowing during COVIDOur member companies understand the critical role the water industry plays in combating the spread of COVID-19 and that ensuring unimpeded access to clean water is synonymous with promoting personal hygiene and overall public health.

So when the disease started its rapid spread in March, NAWC member companies moved into action with one mission in mind: keeping the water flowing to the 73 million Americans they serve.

Recognizing that the health crisis led to a financial crisis for many Americans, America’s water companies moved quickly and by March 17th, NAWC member companies had put in place moratoriums on all water shutoffs due to inability to pay.

Our member companies voluntarily placed moratoriums on shut offs before federal and state level protections were passed to ensure customers had the water needed for handwashing, the best weapon to prevent COVID-19.

We’re grateful for our water company members and their employees on the frontlines who keep the water flowing when we need it most.

San Jose Water Keeps the Water Flowing By Working Hard to Avoid Disruptions In the First Place

San Jose WaterIf a driver hits a light pole and repairs below the road surface are needed, it is the distribution service inspector (DSI) who comes with scoping equipment and blue marking paint so digging can be done safely.

These key frontline employees mark existing water lines before any excavation begins, locate leaks in mains and service lines, and perform important fire hydrant and valve maintenance. They ensure water mains are not hit, no contamination affects the water supply, and the safe and clean water keeps flowing to your home. And they have been busy!

San Jose Water Company’s DSIs have stayed on the job and in their communities throughout COVID 19. In March 2020 alone, SJW crews handled 696 jobs and painted 86,535 feet of markings all while safely distanced and with proper PPE. So next time you see blue paint on the road, know that a DSI has probably been on the job working hard to avoid disruptions in the first place.

Middlesex Water Employees Rise to the Challenge

Middlesex WaterThe water industry of today and tomorrow is dependent on a dedicated workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how essential Middlesex Water Company (MWC) employees are in providing life sustaining water services critical to public health.

Essential frontline workers continued treatment plant operations, monitored water quality and performed repairs and maintenance on distribution systems. Crews also kept a strong focus on working safely to execute construction projects focused on providing a steady supply of drinking water. MWC moved forward with the $70 million ozone technology upgrade to provide high quality water at the company’s largest treatment plant and completed a major transmission main.

MWC activated its Emergency and Business Continuity plans early on to prioritize the safety needs of employees and customers and to ensure 24/7 service. It also immediately suspended water shutoffs due to non-payment and restored service to those who had been shut off recently.

Additionally, the Company established a matching gift effort raising over $60,000 for dozens of food banks and for PPE for first responders to address urgent community needs. MWC also continued to hire during the pandemic, adding talented employees to its already conscientious workforce.

Aqua donates to food banks as part of COVID-19 response

Aqua COVID
Aqua worked safely to keep the water flowing during the pandemic.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Essential Utilities donated $200,000 to numerous food banks throughout the 8-state footprint where its Aqua water utilities serve customers.

“As we continue to provide essential services through this difficult time, we also know the needs that exist as many people struggle through a challenging economic situation. We hope that these donations can provide further assistance and make a local impact to areas in need at the time it’s needed most,” said Essential Chairman and CEO Christopher Franklin.

Aqua Pennsylvania had the privilege to help deliver about 9,500 masks provided by FEMA, through PA WARN (water and wastewater agency response network), to other area water utilities in southeastern Pennsylvania including the Philadelphia Water Department. Aqua Control Center Operations Manager Jim McGinley, a PA WARN Board member, volunteered Aqua to help with deliveries.

Suburban Water Systems in California

Suburban Water Systems StoryMaintaining the operating effectiveness of valves is critical to Suburban’s ability to minimize disruptions of service to customers.

Suburban currently has over 10,700 main line isolation valves and 6,814 hydrants, for a total of 17,514 valves. These valves are required to be in good working order to be effective at isolating portions of the water system during maintenance. A valve failure means a longer repair time and that could mean more time without water for customers.

Even with all the work to ensure water quality during this public health crisis, we are committed to continuing our efforts to keep water constantly flowing and minimize any interruptions to customers. One of the many highlights of Suburban’s valve program is painting our fire hydrants. We pride ourselves on being a community partner which means having our community property/equipment look pristine.

Water utility workers are essential, and nothing will stop us from doing what it takes to keep water flowing to your homes and businesses—including service for the many first responders and front-line workers battling this coronavirus daily.

California Water Service’s Essential Workers Ensure Their Communities’ Safety Both In and Out of Work

California Water StoryCal Water’s employees have been stepping up eagerly to support their communities since stay-at-home orders started. Kathy, Bayshore District Customer Service Manager, has had to social distance from her husband since their home is three hours away. To keep busy, she began making face masks for herself and family, which caught the attention of the South San Francisco mayor’s wife. She asked if Kathy could make a few masks for the South City Police Department. Kathy’s response? “Of course!” She even brought in the South San Francisco Women’s Club to help with production and ensure there were enough masks for all officers. California Water Story David and Staci are two Chico District night owls who worked on a mainline replacement project along a major thoroughfare in town after the sun went down. The reason for the night-work: to reduce daytime traffic for other essential workers and motorists. Anthony and Evan performed a recent emergency fire hydrant repair in the Rancho Dominguez District. Their work ensured the hydrant was back in service and ready for firefighters to protect the community.

American Water Helps Those on Frontlines
of Helping Hardest Hit

American WaterAmerican Water and the American Water Charitable Foundation (AWCF) have contributed more than $400,000 to help local communities mitigate impacts of COVID-19 and help foster change to a more just, inclusive and diverse society.

  • The American Water COVID-19 Response Fund granted over $300,000 to 84 communities to support COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts, with many focused on hunger, youth and social services.
  • A $100,000 donation from American Water and American Water Charitable Foundation went to Feeding America to support its network of 200 foodbanks and 60,000 partner agencies.
  • American Water and the AWCF, in collaboration with The Story Family Fund, announced a new partnership with the Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s Winning in Life® program. The $1 million grant will expand the program to five economically distressed communities and focus on bringing leadership skills to at-risk youth by teaching responsibility through physical activity.
  • The AWCF also established the “Giving Back is Beautifully Different” campaign and provided every employee $10 to donate to an organization meaningful to them in pursuit of racial justice, inclusion and diversity.

To kickstart the campaign and celebrate its 10-year anniversary AWCF gave $10,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative.

Golden State Water Simplifies Customer Service Experience During Pandemic

Golden State WaterThe coronavirus pandemic has changed the way most Americans go about their lives, and has encouraged businesses and utilities to rethink their customer service experience.

Golden State Water Company—a regulated utility serving approximately 1 million people throughout California—adjusted its operations aggressively to address social distancing and exposure concerns.

Golden State Water launched a new website and updated its MyGSWater self-service online portal to add new ways customers can submit service requests, pay and manage their accounts from anywhere.

Golden State Water also partnered with Kubra and provided account specific payment barcodes to over 25,000 customers who regularly paid by cash at closed customer service offices. The barcode enables quick and easy processing of cash payments by local retail establishments like 7-Eleven, CVS and Family Dollar. Currently, the bar code appears on payment reminder notices and the utility plans to include the same on every customer bill in the near future.

Golden State Water takes great pride in its ability to provide exceptional customer service, even when face-to-face transactions aren’t possible. These new offerings are aligned with that priority and Golden State Water’s commitment to customer care.