American Water Recognized on Forbes 2026 List of America's Best Employers for Company Culture

American Water Recognized on Forbes 2026 List of America's Best Employers for Company Culture

Ranks No. One in Water and Wastewater Utilities

CAMDEN, N.J., May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S., today announced it has been recognized on Forbes 2026 list of America's Best Employers for Company Culture. This marks the second consecutive year Forbes has recognized American Water in this category, following its inclusion on the inaugural 2025 list.

"At American Water, our people power our purpose," said Lori Sutton, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, American Water. "Being recognized for our company culture is especially meaningful because it reflects how our employees experience American Water every day. We're intentional about creating an environment where employees can grow, feel valued and make an impact within our company."

The Forbes America's Best Employers for Company Culture 2026 ranking is based on survey responses from more than 217,000 full-time and part-time employees at organizations with at least 1,000 employees across the United States. The scoring model is based on three key components: 

• Personal evaluations from current employees;
• Public evaluations from others within the industry and from respondents' friends and family; and
• An analysis of company culture-related key performance indicators conducted by Statista's research team.

This continued recognition reflects American Water's commitment to building a strong workplace culture grounded in safety first, trust, dignity and respect, and one team. The company invests in initiatives that support employee development, strengthen connection across teams and reinforce a shared commitment to operational excellence and community impact. 

Each year, American Water provides training and development opportunities across its workforce, supporting skill-building in technical, operational and leadership roles, including:

• Future Wavemakers College Internship Program: A cornerstone initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of water and wastewater industry leaders.
• Flow Forward: Offers high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors a multi-day summer camp featuring skill-building workshops, resume and interview preparation, and networking with industry professionals.
• Water UP! program: Providing hands-on training for adults in local communities and helping them identify and pursue careers in the water sector. Developed in partnership with Rowan College of South Jersey and hosted annually in different locations throughout N.J., Water UP!'s curriculum spans water treatment, distribution, safety and ethics, reflecting the range of skills required across the industry.
• Hopeworks partnership: Working with a Camden-based nonprofit on train-to-hire programs that have successfully engaged, trained and employed young adults on geographic information system projects.

With regulated operations across 14 states, American Water plays a critical role in supporting its workforce while delivering essential service to communities across its service footprint. The company continues to focus on investing in its people, fostering strong culture and building the next generation of water industry professionals. Through these efforts, American Water is helping develop a more skilled, resilient workforce prepared to meet with evolving demands of modern systems.

To view the full list of Forbes America's Best Employers for Company Culture 2026, visit: https://www.forbes.com/lists/employers-culture/.

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.

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SOURCE American Water