"Cyber attack Targets America's Largest Water and Wastewater Utility"
Cyber attack Strikes America’s Largest Water and Wastewater Utility, American Water
American Water Works Company, Inc., the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the United States, recently confirmed a cyber attack on its computer networks, temporarily halting some of its services.
Based in New Jersey, the utility serves over 14 million customers across 14 states and 18 military installations. According to a regulatory filing and a security statement on the company’s website, the unauthorized activity was detected on October 3, 2024, with the company disclosing the breach on October 7, 2024.
Stacy Mitchell, executive vice president and general counsel at American Water, stated in the filing that the company’s systems were compromised by unidentified individuals. As a result, some of the utility’s systems were shut down, prompting an investigation and notification to law enforcement.
Mitchell assured customers that no impact on wastewater or drinking water systems has been identified so far.
"While we are still assessing the full extent of the incident, we do not expect it to have a significant impact on the company’s operations or financial health," Mitchell added in the statement.
As a precaution, American Water has temporarily disabled its online customer portal, My water, to safeguard sensitive customer information. While the portal remains down, customers will not face late fees or service interruptions. The company also noted that its call center is functioning with limited capacity.
Importantly, the company confirmed that the drinking water remains safe for consumption.
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