American Water Cybersecurity Incident Forces Service Disruptions and Appointment Rescheduling Across Multiple States
On October 3, 2024, American Water Works Company, Inc., which serves communities in 14 states and military installations in 16 states, detected unauthorized activity within its computer systems, later confirmed as a cybersecurity incident. As a precautionary measure, the company deactivated its MyWater customer portal and suspended billing services to protect customer data. States affected by the incident include California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, among others. The company has enlisted third-party cybersecurity professionals to investigate the scope of the breach, while law enforcement agencies have been notified to assist in the response.
The disruption has caused appointment rescheduling and limited functionality at customer service centers. However, water and wastewater operations remain unaffected. American Water is working to restore systems safely and securely while minimizing the impact on customers. The company has assured that no late fees or service disruptions will occur while MyWater is offline, and customers are advised to visit the company’s website for ongoing status updates. The investigation into the nature of the unauthorized access continues, and additional security measures are being implemented to prevent future incidents.
American Water serves a wide geographic range, providing water and wastewater services to communities in 14 states, including California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Additionally, the company manages water services at military installations in 16 states, including Washington, California, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. Despite the recent cybersecurity incident, the company has assured that water and wastewater operations in these areas remain unaffected.