AMERICAN WATER WORKS COMPANY, INC. 
By
Laura Jordan Laura.Jordan@amwater.com Office:
304-340-2089
Mobile: 304-932-7158 www.westvirginiaamwater.com
According to the Container Recycling Institute, 85 percent of
plastic water bottles end up in the trash, even though they
are made of recyclable material. These 38 billion plastic
bottles a year - over $1 billion worth of plastic - take an
average of 1,000 years to biodegrade in our landfills.
"Recycling plays an important role in protecting our
environment, as does reducing energy consumption and
eliminating waste at its source," said Wayne Morgan,
president of West Virginia American Water.
Every year, 1.5 million barrels of oil are used to make the
plastic water bottles consumed in the U.S., in addition to
the significant amount of fuel used to transport water to
consumers. Overall, bottled water uses as much as 2,000 times
more energy than tap water to produce.
"If you choose to drink bottled water, please recycle,"
Morgan said. "However, drinking tap water is the perfect
alternative if you're looking to save both the earth and your
wallet, since the cost
of drinking the doctor-recommended eight glasses of tap water
daily costs only 15 cents per month, while that same quantity
of bottled water can cost up to $116 per month."
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PRESS RELEASE www.westvirginiaamwater.com
WEST VIRGINIA AMERICAN WATER ENCOURAGES PARTICIPATION IN AMERICA RECYCLES DAY
American Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day
dedicated to promoting recycling programs in the United
States. The event, which began in 1997, is a combined effort
to inform and educate, and to get everyone excited about what
can be accomplished when we all work together for a common
goal. Participants can sign the America Recycles Day 2011
pledge at http://americarecyclesday.organd commit to learning about recycling options
in their communities and reducing their personal waste by
recycling.
"West Virginia American Water is committed to protecting the
environment and finding ways to use our most precious
resource wisely," Morgan said. "When possible, we direct
customers to our website instead of printed materials and use
recycled and recyclable paper for our brochures and other
collateral in an effort to be good environmental stewards and
role models for the communities we serve."
West Virginia American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of
American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest publicly traded
water utility in the state, providing high-quality and
reliable water services to approximately 600,000 people.
Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly
traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With
headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than
7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water,
wastewater and other related services to approximately 15
million people in more than 30 states, as well as parts of
Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.
In 2011, American Water is celebrating its 125th
anniversary with a yearlong campaign to promote water
efficiency and the importance of protecting water from source
to tap. To learn more, visit www.amwater125.com.
