Iowa American Water Marks Drinking Water Week with Focus on Safe, Reliable Water

DAVENPORT, Iowa, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Iowa American Water highlights Drinking Water Week, May 3 through 9, 2026, with a continued dedication to delivering safe, reliable water to the communities it serves.

An annual observance led by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) during the first full week of May, Drinking Water Week brings together water utilities and communities across North America to recognize the importance of high-quality drinking water in protecting public health, supporting economic growth and sustaining everyday life.

"Providing safe, reliable water is at the core of what we do," said Brad Nielsen, President of Iowa American Water. "Here in Iowa, we're focused on maintaining strong systems today, while continuing to invest in the infrastructure needed to serve our communities every day and into the future."

Iowa American Water continues to invest in its local systems to focus on the people who rely on them every day, strengthening reliability, enhancing water quality and supporting long-term resilience. These investments—ranging from upgrading treatment facilities to replacing aging infrastructure and advancing new technologies—help ensure that customers across Iowa can trust water in their homes and communities.

In 2025, Iowa American Water invested over $55 million in water and wastewater infrastructure, all aimed at delivering safe, consistent service that customers can depend on.

System improvement highlights for 2025 include: 

• Water Mains -- $12 million investment to replace, repair, and install new water mains across our service territories.
• Tanks/Storage – $3.5 million investment to begin construction of a 2-million gallon elevated tank in Davenport to increase storage capacity in the Quad Cities District.  The project is scheduled for completion in 2027 for a total cost of $10.8 million
• Service Lines - $8 million investment for replacing lead and galvanized service lines. We replaced 928 lead and galvanized service lines in 2025, and approximately 1,960 total service lines since the lead service line replacement project began several years ago. This progress is a significant step forward in meeting requirements of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandate for all water providers in the country to replace both utility-owned and customer-owned lead and galvanized service lines by 2037.
• Water Treatment and Production System Improvements:
  • $4.8 million investment to complete the renovation of the Blue Grass  wastewater treatment plant. The total cost of the project is $9.9 million.
  • $3 million investment for maintenance, repairs and equipment replacement   at the water treatment plants in Clinton and Davenport
  • $1.8 million investment in electrical renovations at the East River Station Water Treatment Plant in Davenport. This completes a project started in 2024  for a total project cost of $2.8 million.
  • $820,000 investment to update the computer automation that controls the treatment processes and water distribution systems in Clinton and Davenport.

• Wells -- $3.7 million investment at the MercyOne Genesis East Campus in Davenport to install a new well to serve the hospital campus and surrounding area.
• Fire Hydrants -- $2.6 million investment to replace aging valves and hydrants in the water distribution system.

"By modernizing aging infrastructure and proactively reinvesting in our systems, we are reinforcing reliability, enhancing fire protection through consistently strong water flows, and ensuring we continue to deliver the high‑quality water and wastewater services our customers expect and deserve," added Nielsen.

Iowa American Water encourages customers to take an active role in water stewardship by:

• Learning more about their local water systems.
• Taking steps to help protect vital water resources.
• Recognizing the essential role water plays in sustaining healthy communities.

Iowa American Water customers can find more information on their water quality by zip code at https://www.amwater.com/iaaw/Water-Quality/Water-Quality-Reports/ .

Learn more about the AWWA's communications and outreach around Drinking Water Week by visiting https://www.awwa.org/communications-and-outreach/drinking-water-week/.  

About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886 and celebrating 140 years in 2026, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to approximately 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water's approximately 7,000 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.

About Iowa American Water
Iowa American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state with approximately 85 dedicated employees working to provide safe, clean, reliable and affordable water and wastewater services to approximately 225,000 people. 

For more information, visit iowaamwater.com and follow Iowa American Water on Facebook, X and LinkedIn.

SOURCE American Water