Illinois American Water recently invested approximately $6 million to construct Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection at the Granite City water treatment plant. The new treatment technology supports safe drinking water to residents and businesses. As part of the project, three new UV reactors were installed and are capable of treating up to 15 million gallons of water a day.

According to Brent O’Neill, Director of Engineering for Illinois American Water, UV technology is effective in inhibiting infection-causing microorganisms and adds another layer of protection for customers. When used to treat drinking water, UV disinfection addresses chlorine-resistant pathogens and microorganisms that could be present in surface water sources. The Granite City water treatment facility uses the Mississippi River as its water source.

O’Neill said, “There is nothing more important than the quality of the product we deliver to our customers’ taps. This is why we continuously work to upgrade technology and treatment processes to deliver safe drinking water. We are excited to incorporate UV disinfection to our treatment process for particular water sources.”

The investment will also help meet more stringent water quality regulations associated with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule.

According to O’Neill, Illinois American Water not only meets EPA drinking water guidelines, but the company “provides water quality which is better than required.” He added, “Our customers trust us with a critical service. They serve our product to their family, their children. We take our responsibility seriously and are proud to deliver quality drinking water to the Metro East area for over 130 years.”

For more information about Illinois American Water please visit www.illinoisamwater.com.

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210629005998/en/