Tap Water You Can Trust: Two Illinois American Water Drinking Water Treatment Plants Earn National Recognition

The company has received awards demonstrating outstanding commitment to providing high-quality drinking water

BELLEVILLE, Ill., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Two Illinois American Water drinking water treatment plants have been recognized for achieving water quality excellence by the Partnership for Safe Water. Illinois American Water's Illinois River water treatment plant in Peoria and Granite City water treatment plant both received the 25-year Directors Award.

The national awards, which honor efforts to continuously optimize water treatment plant and distribution system operation and performance, were recently announced by the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

"Receiving these awards is a testament to our commitment to providing safe, clean and reliable water that our customers can depend on," said Brian Eisenloeffel, Vice President of Operations at Illinois American Water, who attended the national awards event on June 22. "Illinois American Water holds itself to the highest drinking water standards, and our longstanding membership in the Partnership for Safe Water demonstrates and recognizes the expectations we set as a company."

"Recognition of our Illinois River and Granite City water treatment plants is a reflection of the care, expertise and dedication our employees bring to work every day," added Sarah Boyd, Director of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance at Illinois American Water. "The next time customers turn on their tap, we hope they feel confident knowing there is a dedicated local team, including water quality professionals, treatment plant operators and engineers, who work behind the scenes to help deliver high-quality water to their homes and businesses."

As part of the AWWA annual conference, Melissa Litteken, Principal Water Quality Program Manager at American Water, presented an abstract titled, "Navigating LCRR & LCRI: Lead Monitoring in an Evolving Compliance Landscape." The presentation provided an overview of Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's Lead Regulations and Illinois American Water's commitment to replacing aging service lines to comply with applicable state and federal drinking water regulations and improve water quality. Since 2020, more than 5,200 lead or qualifying galvanized steel service lines have been replaced across Illinois, by Illinois American Water.

"These improvements strengthen the water systems our communities rely on with a focus on meeting critical, evolving regulatory requirements," said Litteken. "Long-term investments in water quality help ensure sustainability and support our ability to provide safe, clean and reliable service for generations to come."

Nationally, just over 400 surface water treatment plants are part of the Partnership for Safe Water, a voluntary effort that is designed to increase protection against microbial contamination through treatment optimization.

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 Illinois American Water 
Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state with approximately 600 dedicated employees working to provide safe, clean, reliable and affordable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

SOURCE American Water