Illinois American Water Investing over $5.3 Million in Metro East Water System; Over 3.5 Miles of Water Main to Be Installed

Illinois American Water is investing over $5.3 million to enhance water service to customers in the Metro East. The work includes installing over 19,200 feet of water main in Belleville, East St. Louis, Granite City, Madison and Swansea. Much of the water main installed will be increased in size to increase water flow and pressure for improved water quality and fire protection.

To view a map of related projects please visit http://arcg.is/1n5mCS. While construction is occurring motorists should use caution when driving in the construction areas and obey traffic signs, detour routes and flaggers.

Karen Cooper, senior operations manager, explained the company works to replace water mains annually to keep up with aging infrastructure. She said, “Like other water systems across the country, our water infrastructure is reaching the end of its useful lifespan. In fact, the U.S. EPA reports that the nation’s water utilities need to invest more than $384 billion by 2030 to safeguard public health. This is why Illinois American Water is continuously investing to ensure reliable water service today and future generations.”

Illinois American Water’s water main replacement program focuses on replacing mains where leaks occur, corrosion has caused damage or the size of the pipe isn’t sufficient. Cooper said, “This work helps to ensure adequate water pressure to homes and businesses for service and fire protection. Main breaks are also reduced, decreasing impact to traffic.”

Customers affected by a main replacement project will be notified via a letter about the impact and any necessary steps. The letter will include a local contact for questions. In addition, Illinois American Water and the contractor(s) on the projects will provide continuous updates as work occurs. These updates may be provided via door hangers as well as via Illinois American Water’s customer notification system, CodeRED.

CodeRED is a high‐speed customer notification system which contacts customers via phone, phone and text, or email based on customer preferences. Customers are encouraged to log on to the company’s web self-service portal My Account (www.amwater.com/myaccount) to enter their contact information and preferences. Customers who do not have Internet access can contact the customer service center at 800-422-2782 to update their contact information.

Illinois American Water uses CodeRED to contact customers who have an Illinois American Water account; landlords should pass along alerts and notifications to their tenants. Tenants can also download the free CodeRED Mobile Alert app at www.ecnetwork.com/coderedmobilealert to receive location-specific notifications on their smartphone. They will receive Illinois American Water alerts and public safety information sent by local organizations using CodeRED.

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 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to more than 14 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.