By Aqua Chairman & CEO Chris Franklin

In October of each year, thousands of companies across the United States and around the world celebrate Customer Service Week to acknowledge the effort of employees who work in the field of customer service. Proclaimed a nationally recognized designation by the U.S. Congress more than 25 years ago, CSW provides us at Aqua an opportunity to honor our incredible employees who work tirelessly each day to provide an excellent experience for our customers, both directly and behind the scenes.

We have a terrific group of talented employees on our Aqua Customer Operations team who are deeply dedicated to effectively engaging with customers each day. These employees carry on a commitment that has been fundamental to our company’s 130-plus year history—so important to Aqua, in fact, that it is an essential element of our company’s vision.  

And while we rely on these team members to serve on the front lines of our customer service efforts, we know excellent customer experience requires a company-wide commitment. Our entire workforce is responsible for helping to carry out Aqua’s customer service vision.

Fortunately, we have more than 1,600 employees across our footprint who are dedicated to protecting and providing earth’s most precious resource for our customers, with integrity, respect and excellence. They work toward continuously improving our customer experience  through diligent maintenance on our infrastructure that ensures reliability and avoids service interruptions; testing at Aqua Labs and throughout our service territories to search for potential contaminants in our water supply; enabling the WaterSmart suite of e-billing, alerts and tips that help customers pay bills, learn of service interruptions; responding to customer service requests via  social media through our Aqua social team; and educating customers with campaigns that provide tips including how to properly dispose of fats, oils and grease during the holidays to prevent clogs, water conservation suggestions and how to avoid frozen pipes during cold months.

As part of our ongoing commitment to customers, we have an obligation to constantly improve our processes to respond to changing customer expectations.

This CSW, we celebrate our company’s ongoing commitment to customer service, an incredible ACO team and a workforce that is wholeheartedly dedicated to providing the best possible experience for all Aqua customers.

Disasters happen. Does your family have a plan? 

At Aqua, we care not only about the quality of your water, but also about your family’s safety and well-being. The thought of being caught in an emergency can be frightening, but the first step towards safety is learning how to prepare.

With Hurricane Florence likely arriving on the eastern coast of the country this weekend, it’s especially important to recognize FEMA’s National Preparedness Month. Whether you’ll be affected by this weekend’s storm or you just want to get ahead of the game, let’s talk about how you can be prepared.

Have an Emergency Plan

Making a plan is crucial, and it’s easier than you’d think. Let’s start with the basics: evacuation and communication. If your home is threatened or compromised by a natural disaster or a local emergency, you may need to seek shelter elsewhere. We recommend having a list of options for local safe spaces, and a planned route to get there. Keep this list somewhere accessible—like on your fridge—so everyone in your home can see easily see it.

There is no such thing as being too prepared. If you have children or pets, it can be beneficial to practice your emergency plan. Practicing can help your family perfect the plan in a timely manner, which can help reduce panic when an emergency occurs. In the case of evacuation, consider taking supplies with you when you seek shelter. The most important part of having an emergency plan is talking about it. Communication is key during times of crisis!

Stock Up on Essentials 

It’s no secret that water is our specialty. And in case of an emergency, it’s essential that you have clean drinking water for you and your family. If your water source is compromised during a natural disaster, have a solidified plan determined by your family’s water needs. We recommend storing an emergency water supply in a safe place for dire situations. 

In the case of an emergency or extreme weather conditions, Aqua might issue a precautionary boil water advisory to our affected customers. We also encourage you to sign-up for our WaterSmart Alerts to stay informed about your water quality and service in real time.

Don’t forget to put aside food, clothing, and extra funds in case of natural disasters. Packing an emergency kit is a great solution for families or individuals who want to have the proper arrangements ready to go.

Check Your Coverage

Knowledge is power. If you don’t know what your insurance covers in the case of a disaster, pick up the phone and call your insurance provider to discuss their policies. Depending on your plan, some major costs could be covered by your health or home insurance policies. Once you know your provider’s policies, you can better understand what kind of funds you should put aside in case of an emergency.

Take Action

We have a challenge for you! Saturday, Sept. 15 is Ready.gov’s National Day of Action. On this day, we encourage you to perform one small act of preparation: start a conversation with your family about an emergency plan, pick up some extra canned foods, or sign up for WaterSmart Alerts from Aqua. These small acts can have a huge impact when it comes to keeping you and your loved ones safe.

If your area will be affected by the upcoming storm, we suggest reading up on hurricane preparation tips. Stay safe and remember that you can reach our customer service team by calling 877.987.2782.

If you’ve been following Aquastructure, our monthly blog series that breaks down all the details about how we bring fresh drinking water to our customers, then you know we put a great deal of effort into purifying our water.

From filtering out dirt and debris to zapping away bacteria and adjusting pH levels, we closely monitor our water at the source, during treatment and after treatment to ensure the final product meets and exceeds regulatory requirements.

In the past, we’ve discussed the different types of filtration processes for both surface water treatment and groundwater treatment, but we wanted to dig even deeper into the scientific details. We sat down with Director of Treatment for Aqua Pennsylvania Matt Miller, whose team is responsible for optimizing the treatment of drinking water and wastewater throughout their state, to clear things up. (Pun intended.)

Welcome to the fantastic world of filtration!

If you take one thing away from this blog, we hope it’s the importance of coagulants in the filtration process. Coagulants are vital chemicals that help tiny pieces of debris particles in surface water stick together and form larger clumps so they can easily be removed from the water.

All those organic particles that creep into the surface water have a negative charge. The coagulants, meanwhile, have a positive charge, meaning that they act like magnets and repel against each other when combined. When this happens, we’re able to neutralize those unwanted particles. They begin to stick together, which makes it easy to flush them out of the water.

Remember these diagrams? Behold: Coagulation and filtration!

Coagulants aren’t the only substances working wonders on our water, though. There’s also sand, gravel, and anthracite, which more or less act as filters.

“If you have ever been to the beach, poured a pail of water onto the sand, and watched it disappear, you have witnessed filtration,” Miller explained.

Just like sand at the beach, in a water filter, the water moves down through tiny pores in sand and gravel, trapping all of the little particles that don’t need to be in our drinking water. From there, the filtered water flows through an ion-exchange filter that trades undesirable contaminants, like calcium and magnesium ions, for harmless substances, such as potassium or sodium. 

Aerate, chlorinate, repeat.

Sometimes, the pH levels in surface water and groundwater are a little out of whack. That’s because when carbon dioxide is in the water, it forms a weak acid called carbonic acid. Carbonic acid isn’t very fun for the body to digest, so we implement a process called aeration, which is a fancy term for the addition of air into the water. This removes any carbon dioxide and normalizes pH levels.

Last, but definitely not least, is chlorination. According to Miller, the use of chlorine is the most common and effective process for disinfecting drinking water. This powerful substance is used to kill bacteria and prevent the spread of waterborne diseases. However, too much chlorine is no good, so our operators carefully monitor the amount of chlorine added to each batch of water. 

Welcome to chlorination nation!

How does chlorine work, you may ask?

Well, it all comes down to the fact that chlorine, which is an oxidizing agent, has a neutral charge, meaning that it’s able to sneak into the negatively-charged pathogens and destroy them so they don’t multiply and make us sick. 

With all this talk of positive, negative and neutral charges, do you feel like you’re back in elementary school science class? We sure do!

It’s time to get sludgy. 

Now that we’ve covered the science of our drinking water, let’s talk about wastewater. We’ve already walked you through what happens to the water after you flush, so you’ll remember that there’s some pretty intensive cleaning done by itty-bitty microscopic organisms. This wastewater cleaning process is appropriately termed The Activated Sludge Process. (Can you think of a cooler name? We sure can’t.)

“Most times, we think of sludge as a bad thing, but in this case, sludge is a community of bacteria that each have a particular function,” Miller says. “The sole purpose for these bacteria is to eat and reproduce.” 

The sludge loves to eat all the not-so-yummy leftovers in our wastewater, like ammonia and nitrate. Interestingly, depending on what type of contaminants the sludge needs to eat, Aqua will monitor the bacteria’s access to oxygen, since the gas can affect the processes. By the end of their meal, the bacteria are full and happy, and our water is ready to head back to the local rivers or streams. 

All this technical talk has us sure of one thing: Science is all around us, from the water we drink to the processes and technologies that make it clean enough to do so. 

Thanks for joining us on another part of our Aquastructure journey. We hope you’ve learned as much as we have!

At Aqua, we believe our mission, vision and core values shape us as an exceptional company. They enable us to go above and beyond, making a positive impact on water, the environment, our communities and our work together. The Ripple Effect initiative represents our continued commitment to reinforcing these ideals – now and in the future. There are four areas that contribute to these efforts: volunteering, Aqua's charitable trust, work-life balance and knowledge sharing. Here are stories from just a few of the Aqua employees who are feeling a ripple effect.

Steve Dunnahoe
Aqua Texas 
Work-life balance
Aqua understands encouraging healthy work-life balance is good for employees and their families.

Aqua Texas Business Development Manager Steve Dunnahoe and his family celebrated a milestone this year when his son Chase graduated from high school as valedictorian. When Steve and his wife, Susan, sent a letter to the school thanking everyone who taught their son over the years, the principal told Steve that his regular visits to Chase's elementary school helped set a foundation for his son's success.

"Chase's teachers told me that a big part of any young person's success is support from their parents," Dunnahoe said. "When Chase was in first through sixth grades, I made it a priority to go to his school cafeteria and have lunch with him and his classmates as often as I could. I believe his current success is in part because of my consistent presence at school, and I was able to do that because Aqua's Fort Worth office is less than a mile from his school." 

Chase's teachers said his father's support helped motivate him to become a stronger student.

"This isn't a utility success story," said Dunnahoe, "but it's a success story about how my working at Aqua helped my son get where he is."

Chase Dunnahoe will attend the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas this fall.

Jeff Bickel and Aqua Illinois Director of Operations Colton Janes in Nicaragua.

Jennifer Knotts
Aqua Indiana
Volunteering
Aqua Indiana employees and their family members have made the Water for People 5K Run & Walk in Indianapolis an annual tradition. Water for People is a nonprofit international organization founded by the American Water Works Association to support developing countries in creating sustainable drinking water and sanitation facilities, and in general health and hygiene education.

Jennifer Knotts, administrative assistant for Aqua Indiana President Tom Bruns, spearheads this effort for Aqua employees statewide. 

"Tom has been an active participant for many years," said Knotts. "He asked me if I wanted to help, and I said yes! I've enjoyed knowing we help raise money for clean water for those who don't have it. It's an amazing feeling knowing you can help others with something most take for granted." 

Knotts handles all of the registrations for Aqua Indiana employees and their families. She also designs tee shirts for their team and coordinates meet-up times and locations. More than 50 Aqua participants took part in last year's event.

Bruns and his wife Sandy first took part in the Water for People walk in 2012. 

"I was so inspired by the cause and event that I invited employees from all of Aqua Indiana to participate in the following years," said Bruns. "We eventually entered the Aqua team in the corporate challenge competition. This has been a very rewarding experience for myself, my family and my colleagues. It's always well attended, and everyone enjoys a great morning walk along the canal in downtown Indianapolis."

Aqua Indiana sponsors the event and pays for all registrations for Aqua employees and their families and friends.

Jennifer Knotts and her family at the Water for People 5K Run & Walk.

Aqua's Ripple Effect initiative was introduced in November 2017. Read more about Aqua's Ripple Effect initiative.

Photo by Flickr user John Fowler

It’s easy to forget about types of weather that occur outside of our own backyards, especially during the summer months of sunshine. The wonders of our planet and its most essential resource never seize to amaze us, though, and that’s why we’re so fascinated by a summer weather phenomenon called monsoons.  

A monsoon, according to National Geographic, is a seasonal change in the winds of the area that alter the climate of the region. This phenomenon is common in areas close to the Indian Ocean, like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladeshand Myanmar, but it also occurs in the southwestern United States. Clearly, our eight Aqua states don’t typically see this type of weather, so we’re extra curious about it! 

A monsoon in New Mexico

There are two kinds of monsoons: dry and wet. A wet monsoon causes heavy rain in a region, while a dry monsoon does the opposite. This video from NASA does a great job of explaining how and why monsoons form. 

Monsoons mostly affect North America in the middle of summer, from July to September. In fact, states like New Mexico and Arizona get half of their annual rainfall during monsoon season. Fun fact: The wettest monsoon recorded in U.S. history was in 1984, with 9.56 inches of fallen rain. These records include numbers traced back to 1896. 

Usually, monsoons are beneficial to the areas they affect. Because these storms often occur after long periods of drought, the moisture they bring is replenishing and fruitful to the plants in the ecosystem. The high levels of rain can also aid firefighters battling wildfires in extremely dry areas.

Not all effects of monsoons are simple and benign, though. Since the affected land has often been bone-dry for so long, it can only soak up so much water at once. The rest of the water sits on top of the parched land, causing flash floods even from small amounts of rain. On top of flooding, monsoons can also bring lightning storms and massive dust storms called haboobs that can pose additional safety concerns for the affected communities, especially for people caught off guard while driving.

People who live in parts of the U.S. where monsoons occur are usually aware of necessary precautions. But for tourists, business travelers, or even new neighbors in the southwest, it’s important to know how to prep for monsoon season. In fact, paying attention to weather forecasts and having an emergency supply kit on hand are good summer weather tips for people living in any part of the country, especially during Hurricane Season.

What other types of watery weather pique your interest? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!