{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"23863","rtpr_id":"nPngnHsCa","ticker":"AWK","exchange":"NYSE","all_tickers":["AWK"],"title":"American Water Recognized on Forbes 2026 List of America's Best Employers for Company Culture","author":"PR Newswire","published_at":"2026-05-06T18:41:57.240Z","article_body":"American Water Recognized on Forbes 2026 List of America's Best Employers for Company Culture\n\nPR Newswire\n\nCAMDEN, N.J., May 6, 2026\n\n(https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2835192/American_Water_Logo.html)\n\nRanks No. One in Water and Wastewater Utilities\n\nCAMDEN, N.J., May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- American Water\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=1671658501&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amwater.com%2F&a=American+Water)\n(NYSE: AWK), the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the\nU.S., today announced it has been recognized on Forbes 2026 list of America's\nBest Employers for Company Culture. This marks the second consecutive year\nForbes has recognized American Water in this category, following its inclusion\non the inaugural 2025 list.\n\n\"At American Water, our people power our purpose,\" said Lori Sutton, Executive\nVice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, American Water. \"Being\nrecognized for our company culture is especially meaningful because it\nreflects how our employees experience American Water every day. We're\nintentional about creating an environment where employees can grow, feel\nvalued and make an impact within our company.\"\n\nThe Forbes America's Best Employers for Company Culture 2026 ranking is based\non survey responses from more than 217,000 full-time and part-time employees\nat organizations with at least 1,000 employees across the United States. The\nscoring model is based on three key components:\n\n * Personal evaluations from current employees;\n * Public evaluations from others within the industry and from respondents'\nfriends and family; and\n * An analysis of company culture-related key performance indicators conducted by\nStatista's research team.\nThis continued recognition reflects American Water's commitment to building a\nstrong workplace culture grounded in safety first, trust, dignity and respect,\nand one team. The company invests in initiatives that support employee\ndevelopment, strengthen connection across teams and reinforce a shared\ncommitment to operational excellence and community impact.\n\nEach year, American Water provides training and development opportunities\nacross its workforce, supporting skill-building in technical, operational and\nleadership roles, including:\n\n * Future Wavemakers College Internship Program: A cornerstone initiative\ndesigned to cultivate the next generation of water and wastewater industry\nleaders.\n * Flow Forward: Offers high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors a multi-day\nsummer camp featuring skill-building workshops, resume and interview\npreparation, and networking with industry professionals.\n * Water UP! program\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=3741488733&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amwater.com%2Fnjaw%2FAbout-Us%2FWorkforce-Development%2Fwater-up&a=Water+UP!+program)\n\n: Providing hands-on training for adults in local communities and helping them\nidentify and pursue careers in the water sector. Developed in partnership with\nRowan College of South Jersey and hosted annually in different locations\nthroughout N.J., Water UP!'s curriculum spans water treatment, distribution,\nsafety and ethics, reflecting the range of skills required across the\nindustry.\n * Hopeworks partnership\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=4032444249&u=https%3A%2F%2Fhopeworks.org%2F&a=Hopeworks+partnership)\n\n: Working with a Camden-based nonprofit on train-to-hire programs that have\nsuccessfully engaged, trained and employed young adults on geographic\ninformation system projects.\nWith regulated operations across 14 states, American Water plays a critical\nrole in supporting its workforce while delivering essential service to\ncommunities across its service footprint. The company continues to focus on\ninvesting in its people, fostering strong culture and building the next\ngeneration of water industry professionals. Through these efforts, American\nWater is helping develop a more skilled, resilient workforce prepared to meet\nwith evolving demands of modern systems.\n\nTo view the full list of Forbes America's Best Employers for Company Culture\n2026, visit: https://www.forbes.com/lists/employers-culture/\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=4096250319&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Flists%2Femployers-culture%2F&a=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Flists%2Femployers-culture%2F)\n.\n\nAbout American Water\nAmerican Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater\nutility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886 and\ncelebrating 140 years in 2026, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe,\nclean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to\napproximately 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on\n18 military installations. American Water's approximately 7,000 talented\nprofessionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national\nsize and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers,\nemployees, investors and other stakeholders.\n\nFor more information, visit amwater.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=1686374189&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amwater.com%2F&a=amwater.com)\nand join American Water on LinkedIn\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=2768570009&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Famerican-water%2F&a=LinkedIn)\n, Facebook\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=1620069235&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fweareamericanwater%2F&a=Facebook)\n, X\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=2167450748&u=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Famwater&a=X)\nand Instagram\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=2152346988&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fwekeeplifeflowing&a=Instagram)\n.\n\nView original content to download\nmultimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-water-recognized-on-forbes-2026-list-of-americas-best-employers-for-company-culture-302764568.html\n(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-water-recognized-on-forbes-2026-list-of-americas-best-employers-for-company-culture-302764568.html)\n\nSOURCE American Water\n\n\n\nAlicia Barbieri, Director, Corporate Communications and External Affairs, American Water, (856) 676-8103, alicia.barbieri@amwater.com\n\nPhoto: \nhttps://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2835192/American_Water_Logo.jpg\n\nCopyright (c) 2026 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved.","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nPngnHsCa","title":"American Water Recognized on Forbes 2026 List of America's Best Employers for Company Culture","author":"PR Newswire","ticker":"AWK","created":"2026-05-06T18:41:57.240Z","tickers":["AWK"],"exchange":"NYSE","article_body":"American Water Recognized on Forbes 2026 List of America's Best Employers for Company Culture\n\nPR Newswire\n\nCAMDEN, N.J., May 6, 2026\n\n(https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2835192/American_Water_Logo.html)\n\nRanks No. One in Water and Wastewater Utilities\n\nCAMDEN, N.J., May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- American Water\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=1671658501&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amwater.com%2F&a=American+Water)\n(NYSE: AWK), the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the\nU.S., today announced it has been recognized on Forbes 2026 list of America's\nBest Employers for Company Culture. This marks the second consecutive year\nForbes has recognized American Water in this category, following its inclusion\non the inaugural 2025 list.\n\n\"At American Water, our people power our purpose,\" said Lori Sutton, Executive\nVice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, American Water. \"Being\nrecognized for our company culture is especially meaningful because it\nreflects how our employees experience American Water every day. We're\nintentional about creating an environment where employees can grow, feel\nvalued and make an impact within our company.\"\n\nThe Forbes America's Best Employers for Company Culture 2026 ranking is based\non survey responses from more than 217,000 full-time and part-time employees\nat organizations with at least 1,000 employees across the United States. The\nscoring model is based on three key components:\n\n * Personal evaluations from current employees;\n * Public evaluations from others within the industry and from respondents'\nfriends and family; and\n * An analysis of company culture-related key performance indicators conducted by\nStatista's research team.\nThis continued recognition reflects American Water's commitment to building a\nstrong workplace culture grounded in safety first, trust, dignity and respect,\nand one team. The company invests in initiatives that support employee\ndevelopment, strengthen connection across teams and reinforce a shared\ncommitment to operational excellence and community impact.\n\nEach year, American Water provides training and development opportunities\nacross its workforce, supporting skill-building in technical, operational and\nleadership roles, including:\n\n * Future Wavemakers College Internship Program: A cornerstone initiative\ndesigned to cultivate the next generation of water and wastewater industry\nleaders.\n * Flow Forward: Offers high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors a multi-day\nsummer camp featuring skill-building workshops, resume and interview\npreparation, and networking with industry professionals.\n * Water UP! program\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=3741488733&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amwater.com%2Fnjaw%2FAbout-Us%2FWorkforce-Development%2Fwater-up&a=Water+UP!+program)\n\n: Providing hands-on training for adults in local communities and helping them\nidentify and pursue careers in the water sector. Developed in partnership with\nRowan College of South Jersey and hosted annually in different locations\nthroughout N.J., Water UP!'s curriculum spans water treatment, distribution,\nsafety and ethics, reflecting the range of skills required across the\nindustry.\n * Hopeworks partnership\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=4032444249&u=https%3A%2F%2Fhopeworks.org%2F&a=Hopeworks+partnership)\n\n: Working with a Camden-based nonprofit on train-to-hire programs that have\nsuccessfully engaged, trained and employed young adults on geographic\ninformation system projects.\nWith regulated operations across 14 states, American Water plays a critical\nrole in supporting its workforce while delivering essential service to\ncommunities across its service footprint. The company continues to focus on\ninvesting in its people, fostering strong culture and building the next\ngeneration of water industry professionals. Through these efforts, American\nWater is helping develop a more skilled, resilient workforce prepared to meet\nwith evolving demands of modern systems.\n\nTo view the full list of Forbes America's Best Employers for Company Culture\n2026, visit: https://www.forbes.com/lists/employers-culture/\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=4096250319&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Flists%2Femployers-culture%2F&a=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Flists%2Femployers-culture%2F)\n.\n\nAbout American Water\nAmerican Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater\nutility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886 and\ncelebrating 140 years in 2026, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe,\nclean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to\napproximately 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on\n18 military installations. American Water's approximately 7,000 talented\nprofessionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national\nsize and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers,\nemployees, investors and other stakeholders.\n\nFor more information, visit amwater.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=1686374189&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amwater.com%2F&a=amwater.com)\nand join American Water on LinkedIn\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=2768570009&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Famerican-water%2F&a=LinkedIn)\n, Facebook\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=1620069235&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fweareamericanwater%2F&a=Facebook)\n, X\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=2167450748&u=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Famwater&a=X)\nand Instagram\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4682593-1&h=2152346988&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fwekeeplifeflowing&a=Instagram)\n.\n\nView original content to download\nmultimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-water-recognized-on-forbes-2026-list-of-americas-best-employers-for-company-culture-302764568.html\n(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-water-recognized-on-forbes-2026-list-of-americas-best-employers-for-company-culture-302764568.html)\n\nSOURCE American Water\n\n\n\nAlicia Barbieri, Director, Corporate Communications and External Affairs, American Water, (856) 676-8103, alicia.barbieri@amwater.com\n\nPhoto: \nhttps://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2835192/American_Water_Logo.jpg\n\nCopyright (c) 2026 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved."},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-05-06T18:41:57.282062479Z","server_sent_at_ms":1778092917282},"received_at":"2026-05-06T18:41:57.343Z","source_url":null},"analysis":{"id":"18615","press_release_id":"23863","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Utilities","sector":"Utilities"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"other","narrative":"American Water was named to Forbes' 2026 list of America's Best Employers for Company Culture, ranking No. 1 in the water and wastewater utilities sector.\n\nThis is the second consecutive year the company has appeared on the list, which surveys over 217,000 employees and analyzes culture-related KPIs.\n\nExecutive VP Lori Sutton attributed the recognition to intentional investments in employee development, safety, and community impact programs.","sentiment":"neutral","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"Routine employer branding award -- no material financial impact."},"keyFigures":{},"quotedText":"At American Water, our people power our purpose","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Lori Sutton","role":"Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer"},{"name":"Alicia Barbieri","role":"Director, Corporate Communications and External Affairs"}],"products":["Future Wavemakers College Internship Program","Flow Forward","Water UP!","Hopeworks partnership"],"companies":[{"name":"American Water","ticker":"AWK"},{"name":"Forbes","relationship":"media_ranking_organization"},{"name":"Statista","relationship":"research_partner"},{"name":"Rowan College of South Jersey","relationship":"partner"},{"name":"Hopeworks","relationship":"nonprofit_partner"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"materialImpact":{"score":1,"reasoning":"This is a non-material corporate award announcement. While positive for employer branding, it does not impact financials, operations, or regulatory status and is routine boilerplate PR."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[],"primary":"AWK"},"globalImportance":10,"audienceRelevance":15,"eventTypeSecondary":[],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap","eventGravity":"award_recognition","sectorWeight":"utilities_low_newsflow"}},"event_type":"other","event_type_secondary":null,"sentiment":"neutral","material_impact_score":1,"narrative":"American Water was named to Forbes' 2026 list of America's Best Employers for Company Culture, ranking No. 1 in the water and wastewater utilities sector.\n\nThis is the second consecutive year the company has appeared on the list, which surveys over 217,000 employees and analyzes culture-related KPIs.\n\nExecutive VP Lori Sutton attributed the recognition to intentional investments in employee development, safety, and community impact programs.","key_figures":{},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Lori Sutton","role":"Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer"},{"name":"Alicia Barbieri","role":"Director, Corporate Communications and External Affairs"}],"products":["Future Wavemakers College Internship Program","Flow Forward","Water UP!","Hopeworks partnership"],"companies":[{"name":"American Water","ticker":"AWK"},{"name":"Forbes","relationship":"media_ranking_organization"},{"name":"Statista","relationship":"research_partner"},{"name":"Rowan College of South Jersey","relationship":"partner"},{"name":"Hopeworks","relationship":"nonprofit_partner"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"model_name":"glm-4.7","prompt_hash":"sha256:6c7fa2f5e3b62e83","schema_hash":"sha256:ee8f711bc9bfba0d","created_at":"2026-05-07T10:39:29.566Z","global_importance":10,"audience_relevance":15,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap","eventGravity":"award_recognition","sectorWeight":"utilities_low_newsflow"}},"durationMs":null,"modelName":"glm-4.7"}}