New Jersey American Water Named Recipient of 2020 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award

CAMDEN, N.J. (December 15, 2020) – New Jersey American Water was recognized by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as one of this year’s recipients of the annual Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards. This year’s awards, which were presented in a virtual ceremony yesterday, coincide with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s 50^th anniversary.

“As the largest water service provider in the state, New Jersey American Water takes great pride in what we do and hold ourselves to the highest standard in delivering safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water to the 2.8 million people we serve,” said Cheryl Norton, President of New Jersey American Water. “We are proud to be a leader in water treatment and delivery, and this award is testament to the commitment and expertise of our scientists, engineers and operations teams who are devoted to our mission.”

New Jersey American Water was recognized for its proactive leadership in designing and testing new ways to effectively treat emerging compounds including Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Located in Springfield Township, Union County, the Short Hills Station’s groundwater supply exhibited trace levels of PFAS. In the interest of public health and after extensive testing of an innovative technology, the company fast-tracked the implementation of a Strong Base Anion Exchange (AIX) system nearly nine months ahead of the PFOA and PFOS rule implementation by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection.

New Jersey American Water has significant expertise in treating and removing PFAS from source water and all New Jersey American Water systems have been compliant with the recently established MCLs for these compounds ahead of the implementation dates, either by providing treatment or removing sources from service.

Award recipients created videos about each project in lieu of giving acceptance speeches. New Jersey American Water’s video can be viewed here on YouTube.

The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards recognize individuals, organizations and companies leading outstanding environmental initiatives, programs and projects around the state. Sponsored by the DEP, New Jersey Infrastructure Bank and the New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology, in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities and the DEP’s Environmental Stewardship Initiative, the awards program has recognized a total of 189 recipients since its inception in 2000.

In the Department of Environmental Protection’s news release announcing the award winners, DEP Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe said, “As we celebrate our fiftieth anniversary and create an ambitious vision for the next 50 years, this is a historic year for environmental protection and this year’s honorees are on the leading edge of this important work. Their vision and innovation set a standard to which we can all aspire, and I look forward to their next milestones in environmental protection.”

To learn more about the awards, visit www.nj.gov/dep/eeawards/. For more information about New Jersey American Water, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com.

About New Jersey American Water
New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.8 million people. For more information, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com and follow New Jersey American Water on Twitter and Facebook.

About American Water 

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.