Missouri American Water is now more ready than ever to help in the event of a statewide emergency.

The company has partnered with other water and wastewater providers across the state via the Missouri Rural Water Association to join MoWARN, an organization designed to allow members to borrow resources from other members on an as-needed basis for emergency management.

MoWARN, or the Missouri Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network, allows water and wastewater utility members to easily share equipment, expertise and manpower when those member systems are facing an emergency.

“Missouri American Water is the largest water and wastewater provider in the state, and we want to be a good neighbor to our fellow utilities,” said Tim Ganz, Director of Water Quality for Missouri American Water. “American Water as a company is large and has many resources, so hopefully we never have to take advantage of our MoWARN membership. That said, we recognize that water and wastewater utilities across the state are often under-funded and under-manned, and in the case of an emergency we might be their best and closest assistance. Joining MoWARN makes it easier to provide that assistance.”

MoWARN, which is currently in the midst of a membership push, has about 30 member utilities and covers approximately 50 percent of the population of the state. The state-specific WARN system began in 2005 following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina and has spread nationwide since.

“We appreciate what Missouri American Water brings to the table by joining our organization,” said Eric Fuchs, the Missouri Rural Water Association’s Emergency Response Coordinator. “Having such a large company join will make it easier for every member to get the assistance they need in the event of an emergency, and we appreciate their willingness to partner with us.”

Missouri American Water

Missouri 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 1.5 million people.

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 6,900 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 46 states and Ontario, Canada. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.