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VOORHEES, N.J.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--[ American Water ] Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK), the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, is celebrating 30 years of its dedicated research department, and its efforts to advance innovation in water treatment and delivery.

"the most notable contribution to the science or practice of water utility developments."

American Water created what is now the Innovation & Environmental Stewardship department in 1981 with the simple mission of better serving its customers through addressing emerging water quality or regulatory issues, evaluating and recommending new technology to enhance existing operations, supporting operations with technical and operational expertise, and enhancing the corporate brand through industry thought leadership.

Over its 30 years of operation, American Wateras research team has been awarded more than 65 competitive research grants totaling over $28 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), American Water Works Association, the Water Research Foundation, the WateReuse Research Foundation, the Water Environment Research Foundation and state agencies. The team has also been granted three U.S. patents based on their research.

The research team has won many honors and accolades from industry groups, winning several times the coveted American Water Works Association Publication Award for "the most notable contribution to the science or practice of water utility developments." In 1993, the group was asked by the USEPA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to conduct the analyses for Cryptosporidium in Milwaukee, Wisc. during the largest waterborne outbreak in U.S. history. Other notable accomplishments have been studies to control microbial contaminants in drinking water, advanced water treatment technology and infrastructure, and wastewater reuse and desalination.

The Innovation & Environmental Stewardship team consists of 18 scientists dedicated to environmental protection and research in the fields of engineering, chemistry, microbiology, public health and environmental science.

aWe are passionate about finding solutions that will make a difference in how we manage and treat water, both today and in the future,a said Mark LeChevallier, Director of Innovation & Environmental Stewardship. aIt is rewarding to know the work we do affects the everyday lives of our customers, our communities, and our environment.a

In 2009, American Water introduced the Innovation Development Process, an initiative that leverages the companyas position and expertise as the nation's largest water and wastewater services provider to develop, test and produce new technologies for industry use. It combines American Water's research and development, technical expertise, and infrastructure assets with innovations from within the company and from business partners to create greater efficiencies in the areas of water reuse, desalination, wastewater operations and bio-energy. An open collaboration model was adopted to make it easier to work with companies developing innovative technologies, allowing them to benefit from American Wateras resources, experience and expertise.

American Wateras research and development is trusted by industry leaders and prominent researchers around the world in applications ranging from reverse osmosis desalination to submerged membrane bioreactors; from water quality to environmental compliance. The company has consistently achieved greater than 99.9 percent compliance rate for meeting state and federal drinking water standards and greater than 99.5 percent for compliance with wastewater requirements.

aAccess to clean water has emerged as one of the most important challenges of the twenty-first century,a noted LeChevallier. aAt American Water, we are in a position to leverage significant resources and expertise to transform how water and wastewater is treated and delivered. Water is a finite resource, and we never take it for granted.a

A copy of the companyas Science of Water brochure, which highlights American Wateras research departmentas 30 years of excellence and commitment to being a steward of the environment, is available on the companyas Web site at the following URL: [ http://www.amwater.com/files/AW_Science_web.pdf ].

About American Water

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in more than 30 states as well as parts of Canada. More information can be found at [ www.amwater.com ].

In 2011, American Water is celebrating its 125^th anniversary with a yearlong campaign to promote water efficiency and the importance of protecting water from source to tap. To learn more, visit [ www.amwater125.com ].