Illinois American Water Celebrates Two Significant Safety Milestones

BELLEVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Illinois American Water is celebrating two significant safety milestones achieved by the Streator and South Beloit Districts. The teams celebrated over a decade of operations without a lost-time accident. The Streator District celebrated 13 years and the South Beloit District celebrated 15 years on Aug. 1, 2021.

Illinois American Water recognizes safety as a core value. Employees are provided critical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), work zone protective equipment, chemical handling requirements and training, and more to support safe work practices. Employees also attend safety training on a regular basis. Safety training at Illinois American Water includes both online classes and hands-on training.

Bernie Sebold, Senior Manager of Illinois American Water’s Safety and Health Program, said, “Safety is everyone’s responsibility. The Streator and South Beloit employees have developed a positive safety culture in the workplace. Their personal effort to prevent incidents is the greatest contributor to this safety achievement.”

Illinois American Water employees work around the clock to provide critical water and/or wastewater service to homes and businesses. Employees are encouraged to use the Company’s Near Miss program to help identify possible hazards without fear of reprisal. The Near Miss reports are investigated, and corrective actions are applied and shared across the company to benefit the safety of all employees.

Sebold credited all employees for their commitment to safety. He said, “They watch out for each other and help reduce safety concerns for themselves and their coworkers. There is no room for shortcuts when it comes to safety.”

Illinois American Water’s workforce is trained in chemical handling, work zone safety, confined spaces, and more. The teams also participate in job site and facility audits to support a safe working environment. Employees may need to work in confined spaces, among motorists and in extreme weather. They are provided the skills and equipment to perform these tasks safely. Company contractors are also held to the same safety standards as employees.

About Illinois American Water - Illinois 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 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

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 7,000 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 help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Illinois American Water Ranked Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Large Water Utilities in the Midwest for Two Years in a Row.
For J.D. Power 2021 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.