BELLEVILLE, Ill., May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Infrastructure Week, Illinois American Water today announced its continued commitment to strengthening water and wastewater infrastructure across the state, with significant planned investments in 2026 totaling approximately $290 million to support safe, clean, reliable and affordable service for customers.

Illinois American Water plans to invest approximately $570 million through 2027 focused on upgrading aging infrastructure, enhancing water quality, reducing service disruptions, and improving system resilience.

"Infrastructure Week is an opportunity to highlight the essential role water and wastewater systems play in our communities," said Rebecca Losli, President of Illinois American Water. "Our continued investments reflect our long-term commitment to delivering reliable service, protecting public health, and supporting economic growth across Illinois."

Illinois American Water's 2026 investment plan strategically prioritizes:

• Replacing and renewing aging water infrastructure across distribution systems
• Replacing lead service lines for both the company- and customer-owned portions to improve water quality and customer confidence
• Enhanced water treatment including projects addressing PFAS
• Wastewater system improvements to increase capacity and support resiliency
• Technology and operational efficiency upgrades including automation, leak detection, and system monitoring

Losli added, "As we look to the future, investments in infrastructure remain a top priority to help ensure we can continue providing high-quality water and wastewater services for customers now and for generations to come."

Planned and ongoing projects span communities throughout the state and include some of the following examples:

• $25 million in the Lead Service Line Replacement Program across Illinois, continuing efforts to replace aging service lines and improve water quality. Since 2020, over 5,200 lead or qualifying galvanized steel service lines have been replaced
• $15.5 million in Water Treatment Plant improvements in Sterling to enhance reliability and optimize treatment processes
• $6.5 million in PFOS water treatment plant improvements in Lincoln to enhance water quality and meet regulatory requirements
• $6 million in a Wastewater Clarifier replacement in Granite City to modernize aging infrastructure and improve system performance
• $3.5 million in a Booster Tank installation in Woodridge to increase storage capacity and improve redundancy
• $2.5 million in Lift Station improvements in Homer Glen to modernize aging infrastructure and improve the reliability of the wastewater system
• $1 million in Water Storage Tank renovations in Bolingbrook to improve resiliency and prevent corrosion

In addition to modernizing critical systems that often operate out of sight but are essential to daily life, ongoing infrastructure investment supports local economies. Studies have shown that for every $1 million invested in water infrastructure, 10 jobs are created. The work is completed by highly skilled union employees.

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.  

About Illinois American Water  

Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state with approximately 600 dedicated employees working to provide safe, clean, reliable and affordable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. 

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SOURCE American Water