The nation’s water system faces the need for a massive upgrading, according to American Water Chief Operating Officer, John Young. “If not repaired and replaced, it will not continue to support our water needs,” he cautioned while giving the keynote address recently at the National Low-Income Energy Consortium (NLIEC) in Nashville.

Acknowledging the particular focus the NLIEC was putting on water this year, Mr. Young also talked about American Water’s H20 – Help to Others – program, created to assist low income customers pay their water bills: Since “low-income families do not have the choice of getting a cheaper supply of water somewhere else” and since “the water bill is usually the lowest utility cost in the household, people sometimes forget that for many, even this expense is a challenge.”

Since Pennsylvania American’s program was launched in 1991, for example, more than $1.6 million has been provided in grants to 9,136 families. H20 is currently operating in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with discussions underway to bring H20 to Arizona, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee.