Our Stories
Imagine a Day Without Water, October 15, was launched by the U.S. Water Alliance, to consider what our lives would look if water were suddenly unavailable for a day. Imagine no drinking water, no showers, no cooking, no cleaning, no flushing toilets. This campaign reminds us of the significant role water plays in our daily lives and all the work that goes into keeping it safe, clean and reliable so that you don’t have to imagine a day without water.
At American Water, we are committed to providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable water and wastewater service to our customers and communities. But maintaining these essential services requires both personal and collective responsibility. We can all help protect our water resources by practicing daily water-saving habits. Some basic conservation tips include:
- Fix leaky faucets. One drop every two seconds from a leaky faucet wastes two gallons of water every day.
- Don’t run the faucet while brushing teeth, doing dishes, or shaving.
- Run washing machines and dishwashers only when full or select the properly sized wash cycle for the current load.
- Take shorter showers. Showers alone use five gallons of water per minute.
- Adopt wise water habits when watering your lawn and garden, especially since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 50% of outdoor water use is wasted.
Investing in water and wastewater systems
One of the most impactful ways to safeguard our water systems is to support and advocate for investing in water and wastewater system upgrades. Over the next 10 years, American Water will invest up to $48 billion in our water and wastewater systems across the country, with investments in system repairs, replacements, and resiliency along with regulated acquisitions. This commitment to our customers across the U.S. underscores that water is more than a utility; it is the foundation of healthy, thriving communities.
Wastewater Solutions
Wastewater infrastructure exists largely out of sight, yet reliability and performance of wastewater systems are essential to public health and environmental protection. Across the country, aging infrastructure, stricter environmental standards and limited resources have made it increasingly difficult for many community systems to maintain reliable, environmentally compliant service. American Water approaches these challenges with a long-term perspective grounded in solutions that deliver economies of scale, technical expertise, capital investment, transparency and accountability. Learn more about how American Water delivers wastewater solutions for communities here.
Source Water Protection
Source water protection is a proactive approach to safeguarding drinking water by identifying potential contamination risks, engaging stakeholders across a watershed and reducing threats before they can impact water supplies. Read more about how American Water strengthens operational readiness, uses technology to stay ahead of water quality challenges, builds stronger communities through partnership and prepares for emerging issues through recent case studies in states across our service areas here.
Together, we can help ensure that water continues to flow for generations to come and that 'a day without water’ never becomes a reality.