Company: AWK
Filing Date: 2025-02-19
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001410636-25-000022
Chunk: 39

Company: American Water Works Company, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-19
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 39
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 approximately $1 billion of capital expenditures to install additional treatment facilities in order to comply with the new regulations by April 2029. Additionally, the Company estimates that it will incur annual operating expenses of up to approximately $50 million related to testing and treatment, with the majority of the operating expenses beginning near the April 2029 compliance deadline. The actual level of capital investment and expenses may differ from these estimates and will be dependent upon market dynamics upon implementation of solutions to comply with the NPDWR for PFAS.

The Company has entered into a nine-year exclusive contract with a third-party vendor to supply granular activated carbon, equipment and reactivation services to more than 50 of the Company’s treatment sites across 10 states through 2033. The equipment and services provided through the contract will aid the Company in treating drinking water to assist in complying with the NPDWR for PFAS.

The Company supports sound policies and compliance with the NPDWR for PFAS by all water utilities, while protecting customers and communities from the costly burden of monitoring and mitigating PFAS contamination in water systems. The Company continues to advocate for policies that hold polluters accountable and is participating in the multi-district litigation and other lawsuits filed against certain PFAS manufacturers seeking damages and reimbursement of costs incurred and continuing to be incurred to address contamination of public water supply systems by PFAS. For more information on the PFAS multi-district litigation, see Item 3—Legal Proceedings—PFAS Multi-District Litigation.

On April 19, 2024, the EPA issued a final rule to designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA. The Company, along with a coalition of other water and wastewater organizations, is actively advocating for and supporting bipartisan legislation that would provide PFAS liability protections under CERCLA for water and wastewater systems, as passive receivers of PFAS, and to hold polluters, and not the public or customers, accountable for PFAS-related liability.

Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act regulates discharges from drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities into lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater. In addition to requirements applicable to the Company’s wastewater collection systems, its operations require discharge permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) permit program established under the Clean Water Act, which must be renewed every five years. Pursuant to the NPDES permit program, the EPA and implementing states set maximum discharge limits for wastewater effluents and overflows from wastewater collection systems. Discharges