We take a great deal of pride in what we do every day. Our teams of experts are dedicated to providing high-quality service to our customers each and every day. Over the past few years, we’ve had the privilege to be acknowledged by customers and industry experts on a variety of topics, including water quality, research and environmental stewardship.
We proudly uphold the highest standards in everything we do. Below are a few examples of recent accolades. Please visit your state site by choosing from your drop down menu above for information on award-winning programs in your area.
Water Quality
In the past several years, all over the country, we’ve received more than 150 awards for superior water quality from state regulators, industry organizations, individual communities, and government and environmental agencies. Visit our section on Ensuring Water Quality for more information on how we maintain the highest possible standards.
- 65 of our facilities have received the Partnership for Safe Water's "Director" award and 57 have maintained it for more than five years.
- Champaign County, Illinois' water has twice been voted “Best Tasting” in the U.S.
Research and Testing
We are known for our award-winning commitment to creativity and innovation through scientific research and for our nationally-recognized lab, which is routinely used in the development of Federal regulations. Visit our section on Laboratory Testing for more information.
- Because of the expertise of our scientists and our cutting edge technology, we are considered a pioneer in the field of research and testing.
- Since 1993, American Water’s research team has won over a dozen awards for our research, received nearly $34 million in research grants, and been awarded three patents for its Cryptosporidium research alone. We are a leader in monitoring and controlling this dangerous organism.
- As the Belleville Lab enters its third decade, it is nationally and internationally recognized as one of the best and most comprehensive labs in the world.
Environmental Stewardship
The special projects we have developed have brought us awards and accolades but more importantly, they show our commitment to the environment and this precious resource we protect. We routinely work with our communities to identify important local projects to support. Visit our section on Environmental Stewardship to learn more.
- In Pennsylvania, we’ve been honored with the Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence for our residuals programs. One in particular adds dried and pressed water treatment residual material to soil. The residual material enhances the soil for gardening, landscaping projects, and for the redevelopment of sites in need of environmental cleanup.
- Missouri American Water's St. Joseph operation received the Pollution Prevention Environmental Excellence Award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region VII for the company's Environmental Management System. The award recognizes programs that reduce waste at the source and conserve natural resources.
- Indiana American Water's Indiana Partnership for Turtle Creek won the national U.S. Department of Agriculture's Excellence in Conservation Award from the agency's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Indiana American Water is a member of this watershed protection partnership.
- American Water's wastewater contract operation in Clarksville, Indiana, has been recognized seven times by the Indiana Water Environment Association (IWEA) Laboratory Excellence Awards and nine times by the IWEA Safety Awards.
- New Jersey American Water's 72-inch Eastern Reinforcement Transmission Main Project received an Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey.
- Illinois American Water's Interurban district received the Environmental Excellence Award from the St. Clair County for its "Clean Hands-Healthy Bodies" school hand-washing program sponsored in collaboration with the St. Clair County Health Department.
- West Virginia American Water's Huntington water treatment plant received an award from the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors and the Centers for Disease Control for providing 50 years of community water fluoridation.
- Missouri American Water's Brunswick Operation won the Missouri Rural Water Association's Source Water Protection Award for their wellhead protection program.
- West Virginia American Water's Weston Treatment plant tied with two other conventional treatment plants in West Virginia (out of 125 facilities) for first place for the achievement of most optimized water treatment under the Area-Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) for 2007.
- Several Kentucky American Water employees participated in Reforest the Bluegrass and Arbor Day in April. Overall, 700 volunteers planted 7,000 tree seedlings near Jacobson Reservoir, a water source for Kentucky American Water.
- Missouri American Water conducted a prescribed burn on the native prairie site at the St. Louis County Central Plant to stimulate the native forbs and grasses at the site.
- Pennsylvania American Water's Tom Trok continues to work on the native plant garden and wildflower plots at the Pittsburgh - Hays Mine plant.
- May, 2008 - Missouri American Water rehabilitated a Bald Eagle and released it back to the wild at the St. Louis County Central Plant near a previously installed nesting platform.
- Iowa American Water's Sioux City staff sponsored and participated in the first Missouri River Roundup which involved working with community participants to clean up the Missouri River by removing debris and trash.
- Missouri American Water's St. Louis County South Plant used a no-till seed drill to seed a one-acre area with prairie grasses and forbs. The area was formerly covered with turf grass.
- Missouri American Water awarded an environmental grant in the amount of $8,500 to Trailnet for the Confluence Corridor Habitat Restoration project to train AmeriCorps Trail Rangers, Stream Team members, and over 200 community volunteers on conducting habitat restoration and maintenance activities in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Confluence area.
- Ohio American Water awarded an environmental grant in the amount of $6,100 to Sandusky Watershed to set up pharmaceutical collection disposal sites.
- Nine American Water surface water treatment plants were recognized at the AWWA Annual Conference for maintaining the Phase III Directors Award for five years and three others for maintaining the award for 10 years.
- Indiana American Water – Richmond received the AWWA Exemplary Source Water Protection Award for Large Systems at the AWWA Annual Conference.
- Indiana American Water awarded environmental grants to Environ White River Clean-Up ($6,500 to provide supplies and permanent signage for river clean up) and Kosciusko Water Awareness ($3,000 to work with local high school students to develop awareness of the water resources in the county and assess water quality).
- The NJDEP awarded New Jersey American Water's Raritan Basin System a new State Environmental Stewardship Award for demonstrating environmental stewardship beyond the regulatory requirements such as implementing an Environmental Policy as a primary management objective, maintaining an Environmental Management System to ensure compliance, participation in the EPA Partnership for Safe Water, enhancing wildlife habitat at the site by installing blue bird nesting boxes, bat roosting boxes, osprey platforms and the creation and maintenance of “no mow” zones.
- A number of Pennsylvania American Water systems are participating in the Source Water Protection Technical Assistance Program being administered by the PADEP which allows water suppliers to use contracted help (free of charge) to initiate the creation of source water protection programs.
American Water's Customer Communications Awards
American Water works hard to create, communicate, deliver and exchange offerings that have value and educate customers, partners, government officials and society at large.
Therefore, we are delighted when our work, commitment and vision are recognized in professional communications awards.
2008 MarCom Awards
MarCom Awards is an international competition for marketing and communication professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of marketing and communication programs and print, visual and audio materials. Entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers.
Of the more than 5,000 entries worldwide, American Water won 37 MarCom Awards - 11 platinum, 14 gold and 12 honorable mentions.
The following American Water communication's received the highest honor - The "Platinum Award"
The following American Water communication's received the "Gold Award"
The following American Water communication's received an "Honorable Mention"
2008 Communicator Awards
The Communicator Awards is a national awards show honoring excellence in communications. The annual show honors the best in advertising, corporate communications and public relations as well as interactive and video. There were more than 8,000 entries this year.
The following American Water communication's received the highest honor - The "Award of Excellence"
2008 American Graphic Design Awards
The American Graphic Design Awards is a competition open to advertising agencies, graphic design firms, corporations, institutions, publishers, and more. It honors outstanding work of all kinds and across all media: print and collateral, advertising and sales promotion, corporate identity and logos, internet and interactive design, package and point of sale materials, and motion graphics.
For the 2008 competition, more than 10,000 entries were received. Of these, a highly selective 15 percent are recognized with a certificate of excellence.
The following American Water communication's pieces were named winners:
2008 San Diego Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) annual Edward L. Bernays Mark of Excellence Awards
The PRSA's annual Edward L. Bernays Mark of Excellence Awards recognizes the industry’s finest public relations campaigns, tactics and professionals, in categories including media relations, community relations, crisis communications and special events.
American Water received awards for the following:
- California American Water team won the Public Relations Society of America San Diego chapter Silver Award of Excellence in the campaign category for the Monterey "Spring into Action" conservation campaign.
- The single piece "Spring into Action" conservation wheel mailer won the Bronze Award of Excellence.
