Sep 19, 2019   SOURCE: BusinessWire

American Water Announces Publication of Sustainability Report

American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, announced today it has issued its fifth biennial Sustainability Report covering its industry leading performance in 2017 and 2018.

“At American Water, we believe that 'how' a company operates is just as important as 'what' a company does,” said Susan Story, President and CEO of American Water. “Our 7,100 employees serve over 1,600 communities across the country, and we aspire to make every community better because we are there. To us, being committed to ESG principles means: keeping employees safe and injury-free, and developing them to their fullest potential; being a leader in environmental sustainability; being obsessed with outstanding water quality and customer service; and being the trusted source of everything water.”

In selecting the content for the Sustainability Report, American Water prepared this report in accordance with the GRI Standards. In this report, we also disclose several standards from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and Edison Electric Institute (EEI).

The sustainability report includes metrics and stories in the following categories:

  • Talent Attraction, Engagement & Retention: Highest ranked utility (#23) on Barron’s 2019 100 Most Sustainable Companies.
  • Energy & Emissions: Reduced GHG emissions 31% toward 2025 goal of 40%.
  • Water Infrastructure: $8.0–8.6 Billion in capital investments from 2019–2023.
  • Water Infrastructure: Since 2014, pipe renewal rate averaged approximately 150 year cycle: 25% better than U.S. water industry average.
  • Occupational Health & Safety: 50% reduction in workplace injuries since 2013.
  • Corporate Governance & Business Ethics: 54.5% of American Water’s Board of Directors are Women; independent chairperson; separate Safety, Environmental, Technology and Operations (SETO) Board committee.
  • Local Communities: Since its inception in 2012, the American Water Charitable Foundation has invested more than $4 million in programs and organizations that are important to our employees and our communities.

American Water has received various awards and recognitions demonstrating our ESG related accomplishments, some examples include:

  • #23 on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies list; highest ranked utility;
  • Top scoring (100%) company on the Disability Equality Index;
  • Top 100 Best for Vets Employers by Military Times;
  • Inclusion in the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index;
  • Inclusion in the NAACP Equity, Inclusion and Empowerment Index.

The full report can be found in the ESG section of the company’s Investor Relations website.

About American Water

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.

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