Learn About Water

It's easy to take water for granted. When we need it, we expect it to be there. Making sure it gets there and that it is of high quality is what matters most to American Water.

Working with cities and communities of all sizes, we operate and maintain water and wastewater systems and treatment plants that treat water from rivers, lakes, reservoirs and oceans. We have the expertise, technology and tools to solve complex challenges, such as providing a water supply to 400,000 homes in the middle of a desert. We've built self-contained wastewater recycling systems for New York high-rises and an NFL football stadium, and rescued a troubled treatment plant that converts ocean water to drinking water.

American Water is also looking toward the future of our planet. We've partnered with Midwestern plants to provide the water needed to produce ethanol, a biofuel with the potential to reduce greenhouse emissions and our country's reliance on foreign oil. We also support a number of local conservation projects in the communities we serve.

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The Water Cycle

Earth's water is always moving. The water cycle describes this continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.

The water cycle has no beginning or end. Water can change states among liquid, vapor and ice at various places in the cycle. These processes happen in the blink of an eye and over millions of years. Although the balance of water on Earth remains fairly constant over time, individual water molecules can come and go in a hurry.

Treating Water

American Water's treatment and delivery of water is an intricate and involved process. From the moment water begins the journey from its source through our highly sophisticated plants, into underground pipes and to its final destination, our teams of professional scientists and plant operators oversee its passage. We closely monitor its movement and quality, testing it frequently.

Each year, we conduct nearly 1 million tests and measurements using the most advanced technology and equipment available. Our scientists test water samples from across the country to protect against viruses, microbes, pharmaceuticals, hazardous chemicals, algae, metals, minerals and other potential contaminants.

We've earned national acclaim for tests conducted to detect and fight Cryptosporidium, a dangerous parasite found in lakes and rivers that can cause serious gastrointestinal illness. Since 1993, our scientists have been awarded three patents for Cryptosporidium research.

Desalination

Our water supply is one of our most endangered natural resources. Because an estimated 97 percent of all the earth's water is found in oceans and 2 percent is frozen in icecaps and glaciers, only 1 percent is available for drinking.

To establish a safe drinking water supply for years to come, American Water is tapping into our oceans and seas. As operator of the country's largest desalination plant in Tampa, Florida, and a pilot plant in the making in Monterey, California, we are helping to ensure the safe and environmentally sound conversion of ocean water to drinking water.

Desalination removes salt and other particulates from seawater, making it potable. At our Tampa plant, we convert seawater to drinking water through the reverse osmosis process. In reverse osmosis, the force of a fan moves seawater through a series of filtering membranes with pores that let water molecules permeate but don't allow salt and pollutants through.

Desalination is not a modern science. The distillation process – which uses evaporation to separate impurities, such as salt, from water – is one of humankind's earliest forms of water treatment and is still a popular treatment solution throughout the world today. In ancient times, many civilizations used distillation on their ships to convert sea water to drinking water.

Ethanol

Ethanol has moved into the spotlight because of its green beginnings and clean-burning process. Made from renewable resources – usually corn – ethanol is an alternative fuel that produces lower greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum-based gasoline. Increased use of domestically produced ethanol has the potential to decrease U.S. reliance on foreign oil.

American Water helps ethanol plants deliver the water supply they need for biofuel production. We offer plants the expertise to manage and treat their water supply; design and build water supply infrastructure; and find new water sources where adequate supply doesn't exist.

Ethanol is produced by fermenting corn or other biomass high in carbohydrates (such as sugar cane or wheat) through a process similar to brewing beer. It is currently blended into nearly half of America's unleaded gasoline to increase its octane rating and improve performance characteristics; a blend containing 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline is most common. An alternative blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline is commonly used in flexible fuel vehicles manufactured by several leading automakers.

Ethanol has been used as a transportation fuel since the late 19th century. In 1908, the Ford Model T was designed with a carburetor adjustment that could allow the vehicle to run on ethanol. Use of ethanol waned with the coming of low-priced petroleum in the 1940s but has increased in recent decades with fluctuating oil supply and prices.

About Rates

Water-service rates are based on the real costs of treating and delivering water to customers, and are regulated by state public utilities commissions (PUCs). All American Water customers are charged rates approved by the PUC in their state.

To determine rates, American Water and state PUC staffs study costs of construction, maintenance, operation, administration and financing. Once the studies are complete, the company and PUC present any differing conclusions before an administrative law judge. Based on the judge's opinion, the PUC sets the water rates.

Rates and billing frequency vary based on geographic area. In many areas, customers are billed based on a regular meter reading, while in some areas there is flat-rate billing. For a full explanation of the rates in your service area, visit American Water's web site for your state.

Water Quality Reports

We take water quality very seriously. When it comes to complying with strict federal regulations for delivering clean, quality drinking water, we've consistently scored among the highest of all water companies. Currently, we score a 99.9% in drinking water compliance and 99.4% in wastewater compliance – a fact that we are immensely proud of.

In the past several years, and all over the country, we've received more than 150 awards for superior water quality from state regulators, industry organizations, individual communities, and governmental and environmental agencies.