American Water Works 10-K 2020-12-31
Filed 2021-02-24. 21 sections, 700K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
| ☒ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020
OR
| ☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission file number: 001-34028
AMERICAN WATER WORKS COMPANY, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 51-0063696 | ||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
1 Water Street, Camden, NJ 08102-1658
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(856) 955-4001
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||||||||
| Common stock, par value $0.01 per share | AWK | New York Stock Exchange |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☒ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||||||||||||||||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | |||||||||||||||||
| Emerging growth company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.
Common Stock, $0.01 par value—$20,390,800,000 as of June 30, 2020 (solely for purposes of calculating this aggregate market value, American Water has defined its affiliates to include (i) those persons who were, as of June 30, 2020, its executive officers, directors or known beneficial owners of more than 10% of its common stock, and (ii) such other persons who were deemed, as of June 30, 2020, to be controlled by, or under common control with, American Water or any of the persons described in clause (i) above).
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock as of the latest practicable date: Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share—181,439,255 shares as of February 19, 2021.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the American Water Works Company, Inc. definitive proxy statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after December 31, 2020 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements included in Item 1—Business, Item 1A—Risk Factors, and Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and in other sections of this Form 10-K, or incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by words with prospective meanings such as “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “predict,” “project,” “propose,” “assume,” “forecast,” “likely,” “uncertain,” “outlook,” “future,” “pending,” “goal,” “objective,” “potential,” “continue,” “seek to,” “may,” “can,” “should,” “will” and “could” or the negative of such terms or other variations or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements may relate to, among other things: the Company’s future financial performance, liquidity and cash flows; rate and revenue adjustments, including through general rate case filings, filings for infrastructure surcharges and other governmental agency authorizations and filings to address regulatory lag; growth and portfolio optimization strategies, including the timing and outcome of pending or future acquisition activity, the completion of the announced sale of the Company’s New York subsidiary and the amount of proceeds anticipated to be received therefrom; the ability of the Company’s California subsidiary to obtain adequate alternative water supplies in lieu of diversions from the Carmel River; the amount and allocation of projected capital expenditures and related funding requirements; the Company’s ability to repay or refinance debt; the ability to execute its current and long-term business, operational and capital expenditures strategies; its ability to finance current operations, capital expenditures and growth initiatives by accessing the debt and equity capital markets; the outcome and impact on the Company of governmental and regulatory proceedings and related potential fines, penalties and other sanctions; the ability to complete, and the timing and efficacy of, the design, development, implementation and improvement of technology and other strategic initiatives; the impacts to the Company of the current pandemic health event resulting from the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”); the ability to capitalize on existing or future utility privatization opportunities; trends in the industries in which the Company operates, including macro trends with respect to the Company’s efforts related to customer, technology and work execution; regulatory, legislative, tax policy or legal developments; and impacts that future significant tax legislation may have on the Company and on its business, results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
Forward-looking statements are predictions based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions regarding future events. They are not guarantees or assurances of any outcomes, financial results, levels of activity, performance or achievements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon them. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. The Company’s actual results may vary materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements included herein as a result of the factors discussed under Item 1A—Risk Factors, and the following important factors:
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the decisions of governmental and regulatory bodies, including decisions to raise or lower customer rates and regulatory responses to the COVID-19 pandemic;
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the timeliness and outcome of regulatory commissions’ and other authorities’ actions concerning rates, capital structure, authorized return on equity, capital investment, system acquisitions and dispositions, taxes, permitting, water supply and management, and other decisions;
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changes in customer demand for, and patterns of use of, water, such as may result from conservation efforts, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, or otherwise;
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limitations on the availability of the Company’s water supplies or sources of water, or restrictions on its use thereof, resulting from allocation rights, governmental or regulatory requirements and restrictions, drought, overuse or other factors;
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a loss of one or more large industrial or commercial customers due to adverse economic conditions, the COVID-19 pandemic, or other factors;
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changes in laws, governmental regulations and policies, including with respect to environmental, health and safety, consumer and data privacy, water quality and water quality accountability, contaminants of emerging concern, public utility and tax regulations and policies, and impacts resulting from U.S., state and local elections and changes in federal, state and local executive administrations;
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weather conditions and events, climate variability patterns, and natural disasters, including drought or abnormally high rainfall, prolonged and abnormal ice or freezing conditions, strong winds, coastal and intercoastal flooding, pandemics (including COVID-19) and epidemics, earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, electrical storms, sinkholes and solar flares;
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the outcome of litigation and similar governmental and regulatory proceedings, investigations or actions;
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the risks associated with the Company’s aging infrastructure, and its ability to appropriately improve the resiliency of or maintain and replace, current or future infrastructure and systems, including its technology and other assets, and manage
the expansion of its businesses;
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exposure or infiltration of the Company’s technology and critical infrastructure systems, including the disclosure of sensitive, personal or confidential information contained therein, through physical or cyber attacks or other means;
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the Company’s ability to obtain permits and other approvals for projects and construction of various water and wastewater facilities;
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changes in the Company’s capital requirements;
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the Company’s ability to control operating expenses and to achieve operating efficiencies;
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the intentional or unintentional actions of a third party, including contamination of the Company’s water supplies or the water provided to its customers;
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the Company’s ability to obtain adequate and cost-effective supplies of equipment (including personal protective equipment), chemicals, electricity, fuel, water and other raw materials;
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the Company’s ability to successfully meet growth projections for the Regulated Businesses and the Market-Based Businesses (each as defined in this Form 10-K), either individually or in the aggregate, and capitalize on growth opportunities, including, among other things, with respect to:
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acquiring, closing and successfully integrating regulated operations and market-based businesses;
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entering into contracts and other agreements with, or otherwise obtaining, new customers or partnerships in the Market-Based Businesses; and
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realizing anticipated benefits and synergies from new acquisitions;
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risks and uncertainties associated with contracting with the U.S. government, including ongoing compliance with applicable government procurement and security regulations;
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cost overruns relating to improvements in or the expansion of the Company’s operations;
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the Company’s ability to successfully develop and implement new technologies and to protect related intellectual property;
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the Company’s ability to maintain safe work sites;
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the Company’s exposure to liabilities related to environmental laws and similar matters resulting from, among other things, water and wastewater service provided to customers;
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changes in general economic, political, business and financial market conditions, including without limitation conditions and collateral consequences associated with the current pandemic health event resulting from COVID-19;
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access to sufficient debt and/or equity capital on satisfactory terms and when and as needed to support operations and capital expenditures;
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fluctuations in interest rates;
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ability to comply with affirmative or negative covenants in the current or future indebtedness of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or the issuance of new or modified credit ratings or outlooks by credit rating agencies with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or any current or future indebtedness thereof), which could increase financing costs or funding requirements and affect the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ ability to issue, repay or redeem debt, pay dividends or make distributions;
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fluctuations in the value of benefit plan assets and liabilities that could increase the Company’s cost and funding requirements;
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changes in federal or state general, income and other tax laws, including (i) future significant tax legislation, (ii) further rules, regulations, interpretations and guidance by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and state or local taxing authorities (collectively, the “Related Interpretations”) related to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “TCJA”), (iii) the availability of, or the Company’s compliance with, the terms of applicable tax credits and tax abatement programs, and (iv) the Company’s ability to utilize its U.S. federal and state income tax net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards;
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migration of customers into or out of the Company’s service territories;
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the use by municipalities of the power of eminent domain or other authority to condemn the systems of one or more of the Company’s utility subsidiaries, or the assertion by private landowners of similar rights against such utility subsidiaries;
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any difficulty or inability to obtain insurance for the Company, its inability to obtain insurance at acceptable rates and on acceptable terms and conditions, or its inability to obtain reimbursement under existing or future insurance programs and coverages for any losses sustained;
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the incurrence of impairment charges related to the Company’s goodwill or other assets;
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labor actions, including work stoppages and strikes;
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the Company’s ability to retain and attract qualified employees;
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civil disturbances or unrest, or terrorist threats or acts, or public apprehension about future disturbances, unrest, or terrorist threats or acts; and
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the impact of new, and changes to existing, accounting standards.
These forward-looking statements are qualified by, and should be read together with, the risks and uncertainties set forth above and the risk factors included in Item 1A—Risk Factors and other statements contained in this Form 10-K, and readers should refer to such risks, uncertainties and risk factors in evaluating such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements the Company makes shall speak only as of the date this Form 10-K was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Except as required by the federal securities laws, the Company does not have any obligation, and it specifically disclaims any undertaking or intention, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all such factors. Furthermore, it may not be possible to assess the impact of any such factor on the Company’s businesses, either viewed independently or together, or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive.
PART I
Item 1. BUSINESS
The Company
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse, publicly-traded water and wastewater utility company in the United States, as measured by both operating revenues and population served. A holding company originally incorporated in Delaware in 1936, the Company employs approximately 7,000 professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to over 15 million people in 46 states. The Company conducts the majority of its business through regulated utilities that provide water and wastewater services, collectively presented as the “Regulated Businesses.” The Company also operates market-based businesses that provide complementary services. Individually, these businesses do not meet the criteria of a reportable segment in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), and are collectively presented as the “Market-Based Businesses,” which is consistent with how management assesses the results of these businesses.
Throughout this Form 10-K, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” and “American Water” mean American Water Works Company, Inc. and its subsidiaries, taken together as a whole. References to “parent company” mean American Water Works Company, Inc., without its subsidiaries.
Regulated Businesses
The Company’s primary business involves the ownership of utilities that provide water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, industrial, public authority, fire service and sale for resale customers. The Company’s utilities operate in over 1,700 communities in 16 states in the United States, with 3.5 million active customers in its water and wastewater networks. Services provided by the Company’s utilities are subject to regulation by multiple state utility commissions or other entities engaged in utility regulation, collectively referred to as public utility commissions (“PUCs”). Federal, state and local governments also regulate environmental, health and safety, and water quality and water accountability matters. The Company reports the results of the services provided by its utilities in the Regulated Businesses segment. Operating revenues for the Regulated Businesses were $3,255 million for 2020, $3,094 million for 2019 and $2,984 million for 2018, accounting for 86%, 86% and 87%, respectively, of the Company’s total operating revenues for the same periods.
Presented in the table below is a geographic summary of the Regulated Businesses’ operating revenues and the number of customers the Company serves, by type of service, for and as of the year ended December 31, 2020:
| Operating Revenues (in millions) | Number of Customers (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water (a) | Wastewater | Total | % of Total | Water | Wastewater | Total | % of Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Jersey | $ | 753 | $ | 43 | $ | 796 | 24.5 | % | 657 | 55 | 712 | 20.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pennsylvania | 663 | 70 | 733 | 22.5 | % | 673 | 77 | 750 | 21.6 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Missouri | 335 | 11 | 346 | 10.6 | % | 472 | 15 | 487 | 13.9 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 293 | 32 | 325 | 10.0 | % | 292 | 68 | 360 | 10.3 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California | 247 | 3 | 250 | 7.7 | % | 183 | 3 | 186 | 5.3 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 234 | 2 | 236 | 7.3 | % | 318 | 2 | 320 | 9.2 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | 164 | 1 | 165 | 5.1 | % | 168 | 1 | 169 | 4.8 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total—Top Seven States (b) | 2,689 | 162 | 2,851 | 87.7 | % | 2,763 | 221 | 2,984 | 85.5 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other (c) | 381 | 23 | 404 | 12.3 | % | 481 | 31 | 512 | 14.5 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Regulated Businesses | $ | 3,070 | $ | 185 | $ | 3,255 | 100.0 | % | 3,244 | 252 | 3,496 | 100.0 | % |
(a)Includes other operating revenues consisting primarily of miscellaneous utility charges, fees and rents.
(b)The Company’s “Top Seven States” are determined based upon operating revenues.
(c)Includes the Company’s utility operations in the following states: Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Tennessee and Virginia and other revenue attributable collectively to the Regulated Businesses.
Customers
The Company’s Regulated Businesses have a large and geographically diverse customer base. A customer is defined as a person, business, municipality or any other entity that purchases the Company’s water or wastewater services as of the last business day of a reporting period. One single customer may purchase the Company’s services for use by multiple individuals or businesses. Examples of these customers are homes, apartment complexes, businesses and governmental entities.
The vast majority of the Company’s regulated water customers are metered, which allows the Company to measure and bill for its customers’ water usage, typically on a monthly basis. The Company employs a variety of methods of customer meter reading to monitor consumption. These methods range from meters with mechanical registers where consumption is manually recorded by meter readers, to meters with electronic registers capable of transmitting consumption data to proximity devices or via radio frequency to mobile or fixed network data collectors. The Company’s wastewater customers are billed either a flat rate or based upon their water consumption.
Residential customers make up a substantial portion of the Company’s customer base in all of the states in which it operates. The Company also serves (i) commercial customers, such as food and beverage providers, commercial property developers and proprietors, and energy suppliers, (ii) fire service customers, where the Company supplies water through its distribution systems to public fire hydrants for firefighting purposes and to private fire customers for use in fire suppression systems in office buildings and other facilities, (iii) industrial customers, such as large-scale manufacturers, mining and production operations, (iv) public authorities, such as government buildings and other public sector facilities, including schools and universities, and (v) o
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Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
We operate in a market and regulatory environment that involves significant risks, many of which are beyond our control. In addition to the other information included or incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, the following material factors should be considered in evaluating our business and future prospects. Any of the following risks, either alone or taken together, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial position, results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
Risks Related to Our Industry and Business Operations
Our utility operations are subject to extensive regulation by state PUCs and other regulatory agencies, which significantly affects our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Our utility operations also may be subject to fines, penalties and other sanctions for an inability to meet these regulatory requirements.
Our Regulated Businesses provide water and wastewater services to our customers through subsidiaries that are subject to regulation by state PUCs. This regulation affects the rates we charge our customers and has a significant impact on our business and operations. Generally, the state PUCs authorize us to charge rates that they determine are sufficient to recover our prudently incurred operating expenses, including, but not limited to, operating and maintenance costs, depreciation, financing costs and taxes, and provide us with the opportunity to earn an appropriate rate of return on invested capital.
Our ability to successfully implement our business plan and strategy depends on the rates authorized by the various state PUCs. We periodically file rate increase applications with state PUCs. The ensuing administrative process may be lengthy and costly. Our rate increase requests may or may not be approved, or may be partially approved, and any approval may not occur in a timely manner. Moreover, a PUC may not approve a rate request to an extent that is sufficient to:
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cover our expenses, including purchased water and costs of chemicals, fuel and other commodities used in our operations;
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enable us to recover our investment; and
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provide us with an opportunity to earn an appropriate rate of return on our investment.
Approval of the PUCs is also required in connection with other aspects of our utilities’ operations. Some state PUCs are empowered to impose financial penalties, fines and other sanctions for non-compliance with applicable rules and regulations. Our utilities are also required to have numerous permits, approvals and certificates from the PUCs that regulate their businesses and authorize acquisitions, dispositions, debt and/or equity financing, and, in certain cases, affiliated transactions. Although we believe that each utility subsidiary has obtained or sought renewal of the material permits, approvals and certificates necessary for its existing operations, we are unable to predict the impact that future regulatory activities may have on our business.
The current COVID-19 pandemic may limit or curtail significantly or entirely the ability of PUCs to approve or authorize applications and other requests we may make with respect to our Regulated Businesses, including without limitation any or all types of approvals described above, as PUCs and their staffs seek to reduce, delay or streamline proceedings and other activities. PUCs and other governmental authorities have taken, and may continue to take, emergency or other actions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that may impact us, including prohibiting the termination of service for non-payment during the current COVID-19 pandemic and extending or delaying procedural schedules in our regulatory proceedings. At this time, we are unable to predict the range of impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic and other related events may have on our ability to obtain these approvals as needed or requested by the Regulated Businesses in the ordinary course or at all, or the nature of any further emergency or other action that may be taken by the PUCs or other governmental authorities.
In any of these cases, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and liquidity may be adversely affected. Even if the rates approved are sufficient, we face the risk that we will not achieve the rates of return on our invested capital to the extent permitted by state PUCs. This could occur if certain conditions exist, including, but not limited to, water usage less than the level anticipated in establishing rates, customers increase their conservation efforts, or we experience negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, or if our investments or expenses prove to be higher than the levels estimated in establishing rates.
Our operations and the quality of water we supply are subject to extensive and increasingly stringent environmental, water quality and health and safety laws and regulations, including with respect to contaminants of emerging concern, compliance with which could impact both our operating costs and capital expenditures, and violations of which could subject us to substantial liabilities and costs, as well as damage to our reputation.
Our regulated water and wastewater operations and the operations of our Market-Based Businesses are subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations. These requirements include, among others, CERCLA, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the LCR, and other federal and state requirements. For example, state PUCs and environmental regulators set conditions and standards for the water and wastewater services we deliver. If we deliver water or wastewater services to our customers
that do not comply with regulatory standards, or otherwise violate environmental laws, regulations or permits, or other health and safety and water quality regulations, we could incur substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions or costs, as well as damage to our reputation. In the most serious cases, regulators could reduce requested rate increases or force us to discontinue operations and sell our operating assets to another utility or to a municipality. Given the nature of our business which, in part, involves providing water service for human consumption, any potential non-compliance with, or violation of, environmental, water quality and health and safety laws or regulations would likely pose a more significant risk to us than to a company not similarly involved in the water and wastewater industry.
In addition, CERCLA authorizes the EPA to issue orders and bring enforcement actions to compel responsible parties to investigate and take remedial actions with respect to actual or threatened releases of hazardous substances, and can impose joint and several liability, without regard to fault, on responsible parties for the costs thereof. We are also required to obtain various environmental permits from regulatory agencies for our operations.
We incur substantial operating and capital costs on an ongoing basis to comply with environmental, water quality and health and safety laws and regulations. These laws and regulations and their enforcement, have become more stringent over time, and new or stricter requirements could increase our costs. Although we may seek to recover ongoing compliance costs in our Regulated Businesses through customer rates, there can be no guarantee that the various state PUCs or similar regulatory bodies that govern our Regulated Businesses would approve rate increases that would enable us to recover such costs or that such costs will not materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and liquidity.
We may also incur liabilities if, under environmental laws and regulations, we are required to investig
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Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
The Company’s properties consist primarily of (i) water and wastewater treatment plants, (ii) mains and pipes used for transmission, distribution and collection of water and wastewater, (iii) wells and other sources of water supply, such as reservoirs, (iv) water and wastewater pumping stations, (v) meters and fire hydrants, (vi) general structures, including buildings, dams and treated water storage facilities, (vii) land and easements, (viii) vehicles, (ix) software rights, and (x) other equipment and facilities, the majority of which are used directly in the operation of its systems. Substantially all of the Company’s properties are owned by its subsidiaries, with a large percentage subject to liens of its mortgage bonds. A wholly owned subsidiary of parent company owns the Company’s corporate headquarters, located in Camden, New Jersey, and the Company and its operating subsidiaries lease office space, equipment and furniture from certain of the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries. These properties are utilized by the Company’s directors, officers and staff in the conduct of the business.
The properties of the Company’s Regulated Businesses consist mainly of approximately:
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79 surface water treatment plants;
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530 groundwater treatment plants;
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150 wastewater treatment plants;
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53,200 miles of transmission, distribution and collection mains and pipes;
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1,100 groundwater wells;
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1,600 water and wastewater pumping stations;
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1,300 treated water storage facilities; and
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75 dams.
The Company has ongoing infrastructure renewal programs in all states in which its Regulated Businesses operate. These programs consist of both the rehabilitation of existing mains and equipment, and the replacement of mains and equipment that have been damaged or have reached, or are near, the end of their useful service lives. The properties of its Market-Based Businesses consist mainly of office furniture and IT equipment. Approximately 52% of all properties that the Company owns are located in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The Company maintains property insurance against loss or damage to its properties by fire or other perils, subject to certain exceptions. For insured losses, the Company is self-insured to the extent that any losses are within the policy deductible or exceed the amount of insurance maintained.
The Company believes that its properties are generally maintained in good operating condition and in accordance with current standards of good water and wastewater industry practice.
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Alternative Water Supply in Lieu of Carmel River Diversions
Compliance with SWRCB Orders to Reduce Carmel River Diversions
Under the 2009 Order, California-American Water Company, the Company’s California subsidiary (“Cal Am”) is required, among other things, to decrease significantly its yearly diversions of water from the Carmel River according to a set reduction schedule. See Item 1—Business—Regulated Businesses—Water Supply and Wastewater Services and Item 1A—Risk Factors. The 2009 Order responded to claims that Cal Am had not sufficiently implemented actions to terminate its unpermitted diversions of water from the Carmel River as required by a 1995 order of the SWRCB. In July 2016, at the request of Cal Am and several Monterey County government agencies, the SWRCB issued the 2016 Order approving the 2021 Deadline.
The 2009 Order includes a condition prohibiting Cal Am from diverting water from the Carmel River for new service connections or for any increased use of water at existing service addresses resulting from a change in zoning or use. In 2011, the California Public Utilities Commission (the “CPUC”) issued a decision directing modifications in Cal Am’s tariffs to recognize the moratorium mandated by the 2009 Order, and directing Cal Am to seek written guidance from the SWRCB with respect to any unresolved issues of interpretation or implementation of this condition. In 2012, the Deputy Director of the SWRCB sent a letter to Cal Am providing an interpretation as to the calculation of a baseline to determine increases in use of water at existing service addresses. In March 2018, the MPWMD adopted a resolution directing Cal Am to interpret the baseline in a manner that conflicts with the SWRCB’s written interpretation. In May 2018, Cal Am notified the MPWMD and the SWRCB that it intends to seek declaratory relief concerning the conflicting regulatory interpretations under the 2009 Order. In an attempt to resolve these conflicting interpretations prior to seeking judicial intervention, Cal Am has met with the MPWMD and the SWRCB several times. The SWRCB agreed to circulate revisions to its 2012 interpretive letter, which would be subject to a public comment period. Any failure to follow the MPWMD’s resolution or the SWRCB’s written interpretation, despite these conflicting interpretations, could potentially result in fines, penalties and other actions against Cal Am.
The 2016 Order provides that if the CPUC authorizes Cal Am to acquire more than 1,000 acre-feet per year of water from a source other than the Water Supply Project, proponents of the alternative water source could submit revised milestones to the SWRCB for consideration. See Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project below. In May 2018, certain parties to the Water Supply Project proceeding submitted a petition to the SWRCB to add parallel milestones to the 2009 Order for 2019, 2020, and 2021, based on the proposed expansion of the Pure Water Monterey project, another groundwater replenishment project under construction on the Monterey peninsula. Petitioners claim that compliance with the alternate milestones would still provide for cessation of Cal Am’s unauthorized diversions from the Carmel River by 2021. A preliminary report on feasibility concluded that the expanded Pure Water Monterey project could provide an additional 2,250 acre-feet of water per year. Cal Am believes that (i) the petition is premature, (ii) the expanded Pure Water Monterey project is not yet a sufficiently certain or reliable water supply and, even if construction is successfully completed, would provide an insufficient quantity of water to allow full compliance with the 2009 Order, and (iii) the imposition of parallel milestones would distract from completion of the Water Supply Project. In December 2019, the SWRCB dismissed the petition without prejudice.
The 2016 Order imposes yearly milestones related to construction of the Water Supply Project’s desalination plant facilities. If any milestone is missed, the SWRCB may impose reductions of up to 1,000 acre-feet per year in the amount of water Cal Am is able to divert from the Carmel River. If a milestone is missed for reasons that are beyond Cal Am’s control, the SWRCB may waive the diversion reduction. On October 21, 2020, Cal Am reported to the SWRCB that, due to circumstances beyond its control, it will be unable to meet the 2020 milestones requiring intake well drilling and plant construction due to (i) delays by the California Coastal Commission (the “Coastal Commission”) in considering Cal Am’s application for a permit for the desalination facility’s intake wells, and (ii) a stay issued by the Monterey Superior Court on physical construction of the desalination plant in pending litigation over the plant’s construction permit. Nevertheless, Cal Am reported that even with a 1,000 acre-foot reduction in Carmel River water supplies, it believed that customer demand could be met without additional rationing in the 2020-2021 water year. On November 17, 2020, the SWRCB provided its view to Cal Am that the milestone reductions were imposed to ensure a staggered approach to ending unauthorized diversions, and that regardless of fault a 1,000 acre-foot reduction was an appropriate and intended consequence of missing the milestone.
Cal Am continues to work constructively with all appropriate agencies to provide necessary information in connection with obtaining required approvals for the Water Supply Project. However, based on the matters discussed above and below in Item 3—Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project, there can be no assurance that the Water Supply Project in its current configuration will be completed on a timely basis, if ever. Due to the delay in the approval schedule, Cal Am currently does not believe that it will be able to fully comply with the diversion reduction requirements and other remaining requirements under the 2009 Order and the 2016 Order, including the 2021 Deadline. While the Company cannot currently predict the likelihood or result of any adverse outcome associated with these matters, further attempts to comply with the 2009 Order and the 2016 Order, or the 2021 Deadline, may result in material additional costs and obligations to Cal Am, including fines and penalties against Cal Am in the event of noncompliance with the 2009 Order or the 2016 Order.
Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project
CPUC Final Approval of Water Supply Project
Cal Am’s ability to move forward on the Water Supply Project is and has been subject to extensive administrative review by the CPUC and other government agencies, obtaining necessary permits, and intervention from other parties. In September 2016, the CPUC unanimously approved a final decision to authorize Cal Am to enter into a water purchase agreement for the GWR Project and to construct a pipeline and pump station facilities and recover up to the incurred $50 million in associated costs plus AFUDC, subject to meeting certain criteria.
In September 2018, the CPUC unanimously approved another final decision finding that (i) the Water Supply Project meets the CPUC’s requirements for a CPCN, (ii) the issuance of the final decision should not be delayed, and (iii) an additional procedural phase was not necessary to consider alternative projects. The CPUC’s 2018 decision concludes that the Water Supply Project is the best project to address estimated future water demands in Monterey, and, in addition to the cost recovery approved in its 2016 decision, adopts Cal Am’s cost estimates for the Water Supply Project, which amounted to an aggregate of $279 million plus AFUDC at a rate representative of Cal Am’s actual financing costs. The 2018 final decision specifies the procedures for recovery of all of Cal Am’s prudently incurred costs associated with the Water Supply Project upon its completion, subject to the frameworks included in the final decision related to cost caps, O&M costs, financing, ratemaking and contingency matters. The reasonableness of the Water Supply Project costs will be reviewed in the first general rate case filed by Cal Am after it becomes operational. Cal Am is also required to implement mitigation measures to avoid, minimize or offset significant environmental impacts from the construction and operation of the Water Supply Project and comply with a mitigation monitoring and reporting program, a reimbursement agreement for CPUC costs associated with that program, and reporting requirements on plant operations following placement of the Water Supply Project in service. Cal Am has incurred $154 million in aggregate costs as of December 31, 2020 related to the Water Supply Project, which includes $36 million in AFUDC. While Cal Am believes that its expenditures to date have been prudent and necessary to comply with the 2009 Order and the 2016 Order, as well as the CPUC’s 2016 and 2018 final decisions, Cal Am cannot currently predict its ability to recover all of its costs and expenses associated with the Water Supply Project and there can be no assurance that Cal Am will be able to recover all of such costs and expenses in excess of the $50 million in construction costs previously approved by the CPUC in its 2016 final decision. See Note 17—Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.
On July 2, 2019, Cal Am notified the MPWMD and Monterey One Water (collectively, the “Agencies”) that an event of default occurred under the water purchase agreement for the GWR Project because the Agencies failed to deliver to Cal Am by July 1, 2019 advanced treated recycled water produced by the GWR Project. Under the water purchase agreement, upon the occurrence of this event of default, Cal Am had the right to terminate the water purchase agreement immediately. Cal Am has elected not to exercise its right to terminate the water purchase agreement at this time, but in its notification to the Agencies, Cal Am expressly reserved its right to terminate the water purchase agreement until such time as the Agencies commence their required delivery of water from the GWR Project. On July 16, 2019, the MPWMD and Monterey One Water responded to Cal Am’s event of default notice and estimated that water delivery would begin by mid-October 2019. On December 12, 2019, Cal Am sent a letter to the Agencies requesting a status update with respect to the event of default. On January 2, 2020, Cal Am notified the Agencies that a second event of default occurred under the water purchase agreement because the Agencies failed to achieve the Performance Start Date (the date upon which the MPWMD’s performance obligations under the water purchase agreement were to commence) by January 1, 2020. Under the water purchase agreement, upon the occurrence of this event of default, Cal Am had the right to terminate the water purchase agreement immediately. Cal Am has elected not to exercise its right to terminate the water purchase agreement at this time, but in its notification to the Agencies, Cal Am expressly reserved its right to terminate the water purchase agreement until such time as the Performance Start Date has occurred. On July 30, 2020, the Agencies advised Cal Am that the Performance Start Date under the water purchase agreement for the GWR Project is September 1, 2020. After June 30, 2021, Cal Am will determine the amount of advanced treated recycled water produced by the GWR Project and delivered to Cal Am during the first fiscal year of the water purchase agreement, to determine the Agencies’ compliance with their performance obligations thereunder.
On April 17, 2019, Water Ratepayers Association of the Monterey Peninsula (“WRAMP”), a citizens’ advocacy group, filed an amended complaint in Monterey County Superior Court asserting a “qui tam” claim under the California False Claims Act on behalf of itself and the State of California against Cal Am and certain environmental consultants who worked on the CPUC’s environmental analysis of the MPWSP. The State Attorney General declined to proceed with this action after it was originally filed in 2016. On July 10, 2019, defendants filed a joint demurrer challenging the legal sufficiency of the allegations of the amended complaint. At an August 27, 2019 hearing on the demurrer, the court dismissed the petition without leave to amend. On October 17, 2019, WRAMP filed motions seeking clarification and a reconsideration of the court’s ruling. A hearing on these motions was set for December 3, 2019, but on November 26, 2019, WRAMP abandoned its motions and instead filed an appeal of the court’s dismissal. On November 17, 2020, WRAMP dismissed its appeal in exchange for a waiver of costs.
Coastal Development Permit Application
In June 2018, Cal Am submitted a coastal development permit application to the City of Marina (the “City”) for those project components of the Water Supply Project located within the City’s coastal zone. Members of the City’s Planning Commission, as well as City councilpersons, have publicly expressed opposition to the Water Supply Project. In May 2019, the City issued a notice of final local action based upon the denial by the Planning Commission of Cal Am’s coastal development permit application. Thereafter, Cal Am appealed this decision to the Coastal Commission, as permitted under the City’s code and the California Coastal Act. At the same time, Cal Am submitted an application to the Coastal Commission for a coastal development permit for those project components located within the Coastal Commission’s original jurisdiction. In October 2019, staff of the Coastal Commission issued a report recommending a denial of Cal Am’s application for a coastal development permit with respect to the Water Supply Project, largely based on a memorandum prepared by the general manager of the MPWMD that contradicted findings made by the CPUC in its final decision approving the Water Supply Project. In November 2019, discussions between staffs of the Coastal Commission and the CPUC took place regarding the Coastal Commission staff recommendation, at which time the CPUC raised questions about the Coastal Commission staff’s findings on water supply and demand, groundwater impacts and the viability of a project that the Coastal Commission staff believes may be a possible alternative to the Water Supply Project.
On August 25, 2020, the staff of the Coastal Commission released a report again recommending denial of Cal Am’s application for a coastal development permit. Although the report concluded that the Water Supply Project would have a negligible impact on groundwater resources, the report also concluded it would impact other coastal resources, such as environmentally sensitive habitat areas and wetlands, and that the Coastal Commission staff believes that a feasible alternative project exists that would avoid those impacts. The staff’s report also noted disproportionate impacts to communities of concern. On September 16, 2020, Cal Am withdrew its original jurisdiction application to allow additional time to address the Coastal Commission staff’s environmental justice concerns. The withdrawal of the original jurisdiction application did not impact Cal Am’s appeal of the City’s denial, which remains pending before the Coastal Commission. Cal Am refiled the original jurisdiction application on November 6, 2020. On December 3, 2020, the Coastal Commission sent to Cal Am a notice of incomplete application, identifying certain additional information needed to consider the application complete. Cal Am is preparing a response to the Coastal Commission’s notice.
Desalination Plant Development Permit
The proposed desalination plant for the Water Supply Project is to be located in an unincorporated portion of Monterey County, California on a site owned by CEMEX, Inc. (“CEMEX”), and requires a combined development permit from the County of Monterey prior to commencement of construction. On April 24, 2019, the County’s Planning Commission voted to approve the permit. In July 2019, the Board of Supervisors heard appeals filed by MCWD and a public advocacy group, at which time it denied the appeals and approved the permit. In August 2019, MCWD filed a petition in Monterey County Superior Court challenging Monterey County’s approval of Cal Am’s combined development permit application and seeking injunctive relief to enjoin Monterey County and Cal Am from commencing construction of the desalination plant. In October 2019, after a hearing, the court denied, without prejudice, MCWD’s motion for a preliminary injunction, but issued a stay of the County’s approval of the combined development permit, precluding commencement of physical construction of the desalination plant, but allowing Cal Am to continue to obtain permits needed for the desalination plant’s construction. On January 21, 2021, the court issued its decision granting in part and denying in part MCWD’s petition. The court found that the County of Monterey did not completely comply with all of the requirements necessary to approve the combined development permit and set aside its approval so that the County could come into compliance. The court denied all of MCWD’s other claims. The court also lifted its stay on physical construction at the plant site.
Proposed Zoning Changes at CEMEX Site for Slant Wells
In August 2018, the City circulated a public review draft of proposed amendments to its local coastal program and zoning ordinance, and placed the matter for consideration on the Planning Commission’s agenda for its September 2018 meeting. The proposed amendments would change zoning at the CEMEX site to open space and restrict future uses, including with respect to Cal Am’s planned use of the site for the slant wells for the Water Supply Project. Any change to the City's local coastal program must ultimately be approved by the Coastal Commission. Cal Am, CEMEX and the Coastal Commission each submitted letters opposing the proposed amendments. At its November 2018 meeting, the Planning Commission adopted a resolution recommending that the Marina City Council consider approving the amendments.
In December 2018, the Marina City Council considered the proposed amendments. Cal Am, CEMEX and the Coastal Commission again submitted letters opposing the proposed changes, but the City Council unanimously adopted a resolution amending its local coastal plan and a draft amendment to its zoning ordinance. Changes to the ordinance require a second reading before becoming final, which occurred at the City’s December 2018 meeting. The changes to the local coastal plan must be submitted to the Coastal Commission for approval and are not effective until such approval is obtained.
Test Slant Well Permitting
A preliminary step to building the Water Supply Project desalination plant is the construction and operation of a test slant well to confirm the suitability of the property on which intake wells will be located to draw water from under Monterey Bay. In November 2014, the Coastal Commission approved coastal development permits for the test slant well, enabling Cal Am to construct and operate the test slant well. Because Cal Am may use the test slant well as one of the slant wells for the Water Supply Project, Cal Am sought and obtained from the Coastal Commission permit amendments to allow the test slant well to remain in place and be maintained until February 28, 2022. A required lease obtained from the California State Lands Commission, as amended, will expire on December 16, 2022. Effective February 28, 2018, test slant well pumping ceased, except for minimal maintenance pumping activities, in accordance with Cal Am’s coastal development permits.
Water Supply Project Land Acquisition and Slant Well Site Use
In July 2017, the Coastal Commission adopted a consent agreement and cease and desist order requiring sand mining operations on the property owned by CEMEX on which intake wells for the Water Supply Project will be located, to cease by the end of 2020 and the property to be sold to either a non-profit or governmental entity. The consent agreement strictly limits future use of the property but preserves Cal Am’s existing property rights and allows uses consistent with existing easements and other rights of record. A permanent easement granted by CEMEX to Cal Am was recorded in June 2018 to allow Cal Am access to the property and to construct, operate and maintain the Water Supply Project intake wells. On November 26, 2019, the City notified CEMEX that, based on this permanent easement and Cal Am’s proposed use of the site for the intake wells, CEMEX has breached or will soon breach a prior 1996 annexation agreement (to which Cal Am was not a party). The City states that it intends to seek declaratory relief from CEMEX and Cal Am ordering that Cal Am’s extraction is limited to 500 acre-feet per year of groundwater, that Cal Am cannot export extracted water out of the basin, and that the permanent easement granted by CEMEX to Cal Am is void. The City has requested a meeting with CEMEX as part of a mandatory dispute resolution process under the annexation agreement prior to filing a lawsuit. CEMEX has denied the City’s claims and requested indemnification from Cal Am under the terms of the permanent easement. Cal Am and CEMEX believe that there is no valid limitation under the annexation agreement on Cal Am’s right to pump brackish groundwater and seawater at the site for desalination and use by Cal Am’s customers.
On May 8, 2020, the City filed a lawsuit, which it amended on June 29, 2020 and October 15, 2020, in Monterey County Superior Court, naming Cal Am and CEMEX as defendants, and MCWRA and MCWD as real parties in interest. The lawsuit alleges a claim for breach of contract against CEMEX and seeks declaratory relief to void the permanent easement and prohibiting extraction of water by Cal Am’s slant wells at the CEMEX site in excess of 500 acre-feet per year and the export of such water outside the groundwater basin. On November 17, 2020, Cal Am, CEMEX and MCWRA filed demurrers, which were overruled by the court at a hearing held on February 9, 2021.
On August 4, 2020, MCWD filed a cross-complaint in the May 8, 2020 lawsuit against Cal Am, CEMEX and MCWRA, alleging claims for specific performance of certain provisions of the 1996 annexation agreement related to the property owned by CEMEX on which intake wells for the Water Supply Project will be located, water rights, nuisance, unreasonable water use, and declaratory relief. On September 9, 2020, Cal Am filed a demurrer and motion to strike challenging the claims asserted by MCWD. On October 14, 2020, the court sustained, with leave to amend, the demurrers as to the claims for specific performance, enjoinment of invasion of water rights, nuisance and unreasonable water use, and the court overruled the demurrers as to the claim for declaratory relief. MCWD filed a first amended complaint on November 13, 2020. On December 7, 2020, Cal Am, CEMEX and MCWRA filed demurrers to the amended claims. On February 23, 2021, the court sustained, without leave to amend, the demurrer to MCWD’s nuisance claim and overruled the remainder of the demurrers.
Under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”) enacted in 2015, groundwater basins designated by the state as critically overdrafted must be managed by a groundwater sustainability agency (“GSA”) by 2020 in accordance with an approved groundwater sustainability plan (“GSP”) designed to achieve sustainability by 2040. Under the SGMA, GSAs have broad powers to achieve sustainability including, but not limited to, regulating groundwater extraction by imposing fees on groundwater extractions and controlling groundwater extractions by regulating, limiting or suspending extractions from wells. The 400-acre CEMEX site overlies a small portion of the 180/400 Subbasin of the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin; the 84,000-acre 180/400 Subbasin has been designated by the state as critically overdrafted, mainly due to seawater intrusion into the subbasin.
In late 2016, the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (the “SVBGSA”) was formed as a joint powers authority to become the GSA for the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin and prepare a GSP. In April 2018, the City filed a notice to become the GSA for the CEMEX site, creating an overlap with the SVBGSA’s filing for the 180/400 Subbasin. In 2016, the SVBGSA commenced preparation of a GSP covering the entire 180/400 subbasin, including the CEMEX site, but in August 2019 the City filed a notice that it intends to prepare its own GSP for the CEMEX site with the intent to severely limit or prohibit groundwater pumping at that site. The State Department of Water Resources (“SDWR”) has taken the position that until the overlap is resolved, it will not accept the GSP from either agency, placing the subbasin at risk of being placed in a probationary status and subject to state management. In December 2019, the County of Monterey filed its own notice to become the exclusive GSA at the CEMEX site in order to resolve the overlap, which is permitted under SGMA. SDWR accepted the County’s filing on December 18, 2019, and now lists the County as the exclusive GSA for the site.
On December 30, 2019, the City filed a lawsuit in Monterey County Superior Court challenging the County’s filing, and SDWR’s acceptance of the filing, as the exclusive GSA for the CEMEX site. The City has named the County and its Board of Supervisors, the County GSA, and SDWR and its director as defendants, and the SVBGSA and its Board of Directors as real parties. The City seeks to invalidate the County’s filing, as well as injunctive relief to preserve the City’s status as a GSA for the site. To protect its interest in the matter, Cal Am filed an application to intervene in this lawsuit, which was granted. A hearing has been scheduled for May 17, 2021.
On September 14, 2020, Cal Am filed a separate but related complaint in Monterey County Superior Court challenging the validity of actions taken by the City and its GSA in adopting a groundwater sustainability plan for the CEMEX site, and the validity of the provisions of such plan. Due to the overlap of issues in the City’s lawsuit with those in the validation action, the parties stipulated to a stay of the validation action pending determination of the claims in the City’s action. On December 21, 2020, the court stayed the validation action.
Challenge of Certification — Proposed Monterey System Acquisition Final Environmental Impact Report
In November 2018, voters in Monterey, California passed “Measure J,” which decided that the MPWMD should conduct a feasibility study concerning the potential purchase of Cal Am’s Monterey system assets, and, if feasible, to proceed with a purchase of those assets without an additional public vote. This service territory represents approximately 40,000 customers. See Item 1—Business—Regulated Businesses—Condemnation and Eminent Domain for more information on this matter. In August 2019, the MPWMD’s General Manager issued a report that recommends that the MPWMD board, among other things, (1) evaluate whether the acquisition of the Monterey system assets by the MPWMD is in the public interest and sufficiently satisfies the criterion of “feasible” as provided in Measure J, (2) ensure there is significant potential for cost savings before agreeing to commence an acquisition, and (3) develop more fully alternate operating plans before deciding whether to consider a Resolution of Necessity.
On October 7, 2020, the MPWMD issued a FEIR for the potential acquisition of the Monterey system assets, and on November 4, 2020, the MPWMD certified the FEIR, which purports to analyze the environmental impacts of the MPWMD’s project to (1) acquire the Monterey system assets through the power of eminent domain, if necessary, and (2) expand its geographic boundaries to include all parts of this system. On November 25, 2020, Cal Am filed a petition for writ of mandate in Monterey County Superior Court challenging certification of the FEIR, alleging that the MPWMD’s analysis of environmental impacts was inadequate and that certification was improper. This petition remains pending.
West Virginia Elk River Freedom Industries Chemical Spill
See Note 17—Commitments and Contingencies—Contingencies—West Virginia Elk River Freedom Industries Chemical Spill in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding the final court approval of the global settlement with respect to the January 2014 Freedom Industries, Inc. chemical spill.
Dunbar, West Virginia Water Main Break Class Action Litigation
On the evening of June 23, 2015, a 36-inch pre-stressed concrete transmission water main, installed in the early 1970s, failed. The water main is part of the West Relay pumping station located in the City of Dunbar, West Virginia and owned by West Virginia-American Water Company, the Company’s West Virginia subsidiary (“WVAWC”). The failure of the main caused water outages and low pressure for up to approximately 25,000 WVAWC customers. In the early morning hours of June 25, 2015, crews completed a repair, but that same day, the repair developed a leak. On June 26, 2015, a second repair was completed and service was restored that day to approximately 80% of the impacted customers, and to the remaining approximately 20% by the next morning. The second repair showed signs of leaking but the water main was usable until June 29, 2015 to allow tanks to refill. The system was reconfigured to maintain service to all but approximately 3,000 customers while a final repair was completed safely on June 30, 2015. Water service was fully restored on July 1, 2015 to all customers affected by this event.
On June 2, 2017, a complaint captioned Jeffries, et al. v. West Virginia-American Water Company was filed in West Virginia Circuit Court in Kanawha County on behalf of an alleged class of residents and business owners who lost water service or pressure as a result of the Dunbar main break. The complaint alleges breach of contract by WVAWC for failure to supply water, violation of West Virginia law regarding the sufficiency of WVAWC’s facilities and negligence by WVAWC in the design, maintenance and operation of the water system. The Jeffries plaintiffs seek unspecified alleged damages on behalf of the class for lost profits, annoyance and inconvenience, and loss of use, as well as punitive damages for willful, reckless and wanton behavior in not addressing the risk of pipe failure and a large outage.
On February 4, 2020, the Jeffries plaintiffs filed a motion seeking class certification on the issues of breach of contract and negligence, and to determine the applicability of punitive damages and a multiplier for those damages if imposed. On July 14, 2020, the Circuit Court entered an order granting the Jeffries plaintiffs’ motion for certification of a class regarding certain liability issues but denying certification of a class to determine a punitive damages multiplier. On August 31, 2020, WVAWC filed a Petition for Writ of Prohibition in the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia seeking to vacate or remand the Circuit Court’s order certifying the issues class. At the request of the parties, on September 10, 2020, the Circuit Court ordered the stay of all matters in the class proceeding pending consideration of this petition. On December 3, 2020, the Supreme Court of Appeals issued an order to show cause stating that there are sufficient grounds for oral argument to consider prohibiting the class certification order. On January 28, 2021, the Supreme Court of Appeals granted a motion by the Jeffries plaintiffs to remand the case back to the Circuit Court for further consideration in light of a recent Supreme Court of Appeals decision issued in another case relating to the class certification issues raised.
The Company and WVAWC believe that WVAWC has meritorious defenses to the claims raised in this class action complaint and WVAWC will continue to vigorously defend itself against these allegations.
Chattanooga, Tennessee Class Action Litigation
On September 12, 2019, Tennessee-American Water Company, the Company’s Tennessee subsidiary (“TAWC”), experienced a leak in a 36-inch water transmission main, which caused service fluctuations or interruptions to TAWC customers and the issuance of a boil water notice. TAWC repaired the main by early morning on September 14, 2019, and restored full water service by the afternoon of September 15, 2019, with the boil water notice lifted for all customers on September 16, 2019.
On September 17, 2019, a complaint captioned Bruce, et al. v. American Water Works Company, Inc., et al. was filed in the Circuit Court of Hamilton County, Tennessee against TAWC, the Company and Service Company (collectively, the “Tennessee-American Water Defendants”), on behalf of a proposed class of individuals or entities who lost water service or suffered monetary losses as a result of the Chattanooga incident (the “Tennessee Plaintiffs”). The complaint alleged breach of contract and negligence against the Tennessee-American Water Defendants, as well as an equitable remedy of piercing the corporate veil. In the complaint as filed, the Tennessee Plaintiffs were seeking an award of unspecified alleged damages for wage losses, business and economic losses, out-of-pocket expenses, loss of use and enjoyment of property and annoyance and inconvenience, as well as punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and pre- and post-judgment interest.
On November 22, 2019, the Tennessee-American Water Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, and, with respect to the Company, a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. After oral argument on the motion to dismiss, on September 18, 2020, the court (i) granted the motion to dismiss the Tennessee Plaintiffs’ negligence claim against all Tennessee-American Water Defendants, (ii) denied the motion to dismiss the breach of contract claim against TAWC, (iii) held in abeyance the motion to dismiss the breach of contract claims against the Company and Service Company pending a further hearing and (iv) held in abeyance the Company’s motion to dismiss the complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction. On September 24, 2020, at the request of the Tennessee Plaintiffs, the court dismissed without prejudice all claims in the Bruce complaint against the Company and Service Company. The collective impact of the September 2020 court orders was that all of the Tennessee Plaintiffs’ claims in this complaint were dismissed, other than the breach of contract claims against TAWC. On October 16, 2020, TAWC answered the complaint, and the parties are commencing with discovery.
TAWC and the Company believe that TAWC has meritorious defenses to the claims raised in this class action complaint, and TAWC is vigorously defending itself against these allegations.
General
Periodically, the Company is involved in other proceedings or litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. Other than those proceedings described in this Item 3—Legal Proceedings, the Company does not believe that the ultimate resolution of these matters will materially affect its financial position or results of operations. However, litigation and other proceedings are subject to many uncertainties, and the outcome of individual matters is not predictable with assurance. It is possible that some litigation and other proceedings could be decided unfavorably to the Company, and that any such unfavorable decisions could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Since April 23, 2008, the Company’s common stock has traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “AWK.” As of February 19, 2021, there were 181,439,255 shares of common stock outstanding held by approximately 2,427 record holders. Holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to receive dividends when they are declared by its Board of Directors. See Note 10—Shareholders’ Equity in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding the Company’s dividends.
In February 2015, the Board of Directors authorized an anti-dilutive stock repurchase program to mitigate the dilutive effect of shares issued through the Company’s dividend reinvestment, employee stock purchase and executive compensation activities. The program allows the Company to purchase up to 10 million shares of its outstanding common stock over an unrestricted period of time in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions. The program is conducted in accordance with Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act, and, to facilitate these repurchases, the Company enters into Rule 10b5-1 stock repurchase plans with a third-party broker, which allow the Company to repurchase shares of its common stock at times when it otherwise might be prevented from doing so under insider trading laws or because of self-imposed trading blackout periods. Subject to applicable regulations, the Company may elect to amend or cancel the program or the stock repurchase parameters at its discretion to manage dilution.
From April 1, 2015, the date repurchases under the anti-dilutive stock repurchase program commenced, through December 31, 2020, the Company repurchased an aggregate of 4,860,000 shares of its common stock under the program, leaving an aggregate of 5,140,000 shares available for repurchase under this program. There were no repurchases of common stock in 2020.
Item 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
| For the Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (In millions, except per share data) | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statement of Operations data: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating revenues | $ | 3,777 | $ | 3,610 | $ | 3,440 | $ | 3,357 | $ | 3,302 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Net income attributable to common shareholders | 709 | 621 | 567 | 426 | 468 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income attributable to common shareholders per basic common share | $ | 3.91 | $ | 3.44 | $ | 3.16 | $ | 2.39 | $ | 2.63 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Net income attributable to common shareholders per diluted common share | 3.91 | 3.43 | 3.15 | 2.38 | 2.62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance Sheet data: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 24,766 | $ | 22,682 | $ | 21,223 | $ | 19,482 | $ | 18,482 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt and redeemable preferred stock at redemption value | 9,333 | 8,644 | 7,576 | 6,498 | 5,759 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other data: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cash dividends declared per common share | $ | 2.20 | $ | 2.00 | $ | 1.82 | $ | 1.66 | $ | 1.50 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities (a) (b) | 1,426 | 1,383 | 1,386 | 1,449 | 1,289 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities (b) | (2,061) | (1,945) | (2,036) | (1,672) | (1,590) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities (a) (b) | 1,120 | 494 | 726 | 207 | 328 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital expenditures included in net cash used in investing activities | (1,822) | (1,654) | (1,586) | (1,434) | (1,311) |
(a) The information for the year ended December 31, 2016 has been revised to reflect the retrospective application of Accounting Standards Update 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which was adopted by the Company as of January 1, 2017.
(b) The information for the year ended December 31, 2016 has been revised to reflect the retrospective application of Accounting Standards Update 2016-18, Restricted Cash, which was adopted by the Company as of December 31, 2017.
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read together with the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Notes thereto included elsewhere in this Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company’s business, operations and financial performance. The cautionary statements made in this Form 10-K should be read as applying to all related forward-looking statements whenever they appear in this Form 10-K. The Company’s actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated and expressed in such forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those that are discussed under “Forward-Looking Statements,” Item 1A—Risk Factors and elsewhere in this Form 10-K. The Company has a disclosure committee consisting of members of senior management and other key employees involved in the preparation of the Company’s SEC reports. The committee is actively involved in the review and discussion of the Company’s SEC filings. For a discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial statements for fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018, please refer to Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on February 18, 2020.
Overview
American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse, publicly-traded water and wastewater utility company in the United States, as measured by both operating revenues and population served. The Company employs approximately 7,000 professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to over 15 million people in 46 states. The Company’s primary business involves the ownership of utilities that provide water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, industrial, public authority, fire service and sale for resale customers, collectively presented as the “Regulated Businesses.” The Company’s utilities operate in over 1,700 communities in 16 states in the United States, with 3.5 million active customers with services provided by its water and wastewater networks. Services provided by the Company’s utilities are subject to regulation by PUCs. The Company also operates market-based businesses that provide water, wastewater and other services to residential and smaller commercial customers, the U.S. government on military installations, as well as municipalities and utility customers, collectively presented as the “Market-Based Businesses.” These Market-Based Businesses are not subject to economic regulation by state PUCs. See Item 1—Business for additional information.
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Update
American Water has been monitoring the global impact of COVID-19 pandemic and has taken steps to mitigate adverse impacts to the Company. The Company has three main areas of focus as part of its response to COVID-19: the care and safety of its employees; the safety of its customers and the communities it serves; and the execution of its business continuity plan. American Water continues to work with its vendors to prevent disruptions in its supply chain, and, at this time, has not experienced, and does not anticipate, any material negative impacts. The Company has also been monitoring the impacts of the pandemic on its access to the capital markets, and to the extent such access is adversely affected, American Water may need to consider alternative sources of funding for its operations and for working capital, any of which could increase its cost of capital.
This pandemic continues to evolve, and American Water continues to monitor developments affecting its employees, customers, contractors and vendors and will take additional actions as warranted. To date, the Company has experienced COVID-19 financial impacts, including an increase in uncollectible accounts expense, additional debt costs, and certain incremental operation and maintenance (“O&M”) expenses. The Company has also experienced decreased revenues as a result of the suspension of late fees and foregone reconnect fees. These impacts are collectively referred to as “financial impacts.” See Note 3—Impact of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information. The extent to which COVID-19 may further impact American Water, including without limitation, its liquidity, financial condition, and results of operations, will depend on future developments, which presently cannot be predicted.
As of February 24, 2021, American Water has commission orders authorizing deferred accounting for COVID-19 financial impacts in 11 of 14 jurisdictions, with proceedings in two jurisdictions pending. In addition to approving deferred accounting, to date, two regulatory jurisdictions have also approved cost recovery mechanisms for specified COVID-19 financial impacts. Regulatory actions to date are presented in the table below:
| Commission Actions | Description | States | ||||||||||||
| Orders issued | Allows the Company to establish regulatory assets to record certain financial impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. | CA, HI, IA, IL, IN, MD, MO, NJ, PA, VA, WV | ||||||||||||
| Cost recovery mechanisms | California’s Catastrophic Event Memorandum Account allows the Company to track and recover certain financial impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Illinois has authorized cost recovery of COVID-19 financial impacts through a special purpose rider over a 24-month period, which was implemented by the Company’s Illinois subsidiary effective October 1, 2020. Additionally, Illinois approved a bad debt rider tariff on December 16, 2020. This rider will allow the Company to collect actual bad debt expense over last authorized beginning March 2021 over a 24-month period. | CA, IL | ||||||||||||
| Proceedings pending | Pending proceedings considering deferred accounting authorization for the future recovery of COVID-19 financial impacts. | NY, TN |
Consistent with these regulatory orders, the Company has recorded $30 million in regulatory assets and $4 million of regulatory liabilities for the financial impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2020. On December 30, 2020, the Company’s Kentucky subsidiary received an order denying its request to defer to a regulatory asset the financial impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of February 24, 2021, six states have ordered active moratoria on the suspension of service disconnections due to non-payment. The moratoria on disconnects have expired in eight states. The Company continues to monitor the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to comply with the current ordered moratoria and any future moratoria implemented.
Financing Activities
To ensure adequate liquidity given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on debt and capital markets, on March 20, 2020, parent company and American Water Capital Corp. (“AWCC”), parent company’s wholly owned finance subsidiary, entered into a Term Loan Credit Agreement that provides for a 364-day term loan facility of up to $750 million (the “Term Loan Facility”). On March 20, 2020, AWCC borrowed $500 million under the Term Loan Facility, the proceeds of which were used for general corporate purposes of AWCC and American Water, and to provide additional liquidity. The Term Loan Facility allowed for a single additional borrowing of up to $250 million, which expired unused on June 19, 2020. See Note 13—Short-Term Debt in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
On April
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Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
The Company is exposed to market risk associated with changes in commodity prices, equity prices and interest rates. The Company is exposed to risks from changes in interest rates as a result of its issuance of variable and fixed rate debt and commercial paper. The Company manages its interest rate exposure by limiting its variable rate exposure and by monitoring the effects of market changes in interest rates. The Company also has the ability to enter into financial derivative instruments, which could include instruments such as, but not limited to, interest rate swaps, forward starting swaps, swaptions and U.S. Treasury lock agreements to manage and mitigate interest rate risk exposure. As of December 31, 2020, a hypothetical increase of interest rates by 1% associated with the Company’s short-term borrowings would result in a $6 million increase in short-term interest expense.
The Company’s risks associated with price increases for chemicals, electricity and other commodities are reduced through contractual arrangements and the expected ability to recover price increases through rates, in the next general rate case proceeding or other regulatory mechanism, as authorized by each regulatory jurisdiction. Non-performance by these commodity suppliers could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows.
The market price of the Company’s common stock may experience fluctuations, which may be unrelated to its operating performance. In particular, the Company’s stock price may be affected by general market movements as well as developments specifically related to the water and wastewater industry. These could include, among other things, interest rate movements, quarterly variations or changes in financial estimates by securities analysts and governmental or regulatory actions. This volatility may make it difficult for the Company to access the capital markets in the future through additional offerings of its common stock or other equity securities, regardless of its financial performance, and such difficulty may preclude the Company from being able to take advantage of certain business opportunities or meet business obligations.
The Company is exposed to credit risk through its water, wastewater and other water-related services provided by the Regulated Businesses and Market-Based Businesses. The Company’s Regulated Businesses serve residential, commercial, industrial and other customers, while the Market-Based Businesses engage in business activities with developers, government entities and other customers. The Company’s primary credit risk is exposure to customer default on contractual obligations and the associated loss that may be incurred due to the non-payment of customer accounts receivable balances. The Company’s credit risk is managed through established credit and collection policies which are in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and involve monitoring of customer exposure and the use of credit risk mitigation measures such as letters of credit or prepayment arrangements. The Company’s credit portfolio is diversified with no significant customer or industry concentrations. In addition, the Regulated Businesses are generally able to recover all prudently incurred costs including uncollectible customer accounts receivable expenses and collection costs through rates.
The Company’s retirement trust assets are exposed to the market prices of debt and equity securities. Changes to the retirement trust asset values can impact the Company’s pension and other benefits expense, funded status and future minimum funding requirements. Changes in interest rates can impact retirement liabilities. The Company aims to reduce risk through asset diversification and by investing in long duration fixed-income securities that have a duration similar to that of its pension liabilities, seeking to hedge some of the interest rate sensitivity of its liabilities. That way, if interest rates fall and liabilities increase, the Company expects that the fixed-income assets in its retirement trust will also increase in value. The Company also expects its risk to be reduced through its ability to recover pension and other benefit costs through rates.
The Company is also exposed to a potential national economic recession or deterioration in local economic conditions in the markets in which it operates. The credit quality of the Company’s customer accounts receivable is dependent on the economy and the ability of its customers to manage through unfavorable economic cycles and other market changes. In addition, there can be no assurances that regulators will grant sufficient rate authorizations. Therefore, the Company’s ability to fully recover operating expense, recover its investment and provide an appropriate return on invested capital made in the Regulated Businesses may be adversely impacted.
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of
American Water Works Company, Inc.
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of American Water Works Company, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019**,** and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
Change in Accounting Principle
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for leases in 2019.
Basis for Opinions
The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Accounting for the Effects of Rate Regulation
As described in Notes 2 and 4 to
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Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company, under the supervision and with the participation of its management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of December 31, 2020, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective at a reasonable level of assurance. The Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by or under the supervision of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect its transactions and dispositions of its assets, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that the Company’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of its management and its directors, and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of its assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
The Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, assessed the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting, as of December 31, 2020, using the criteria described in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
Based on the Company’s evaluation under the framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013), its management concluded that its internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020.
The effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing in Item 8—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The Company concluded that there have been no changes in internal control over financial reporting that occurred during its last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
PART III
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by this item and not given below or in Item 1—Business—Executive Officers of this Form 10-K, is incorporated by reference from the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, to be filed with the SEC within 120 days following the end of the fiscal year covered by this report, under the captions entitled “Board of Directors and Corporate Governance,” “Proposal 1—Election of Directors” and “Certain Beneficial Ownership Matters—Section 16(a) Delinquent Reports.”
The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics, which applies to directors, officers and employees. The full text of the Code of Ethics is publicly available on the Company’s website at https://amwater.com. The Company intends to post on its website any amendments to the Code of Ethics and any waivers of such provisions granted to certain principal officers.
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Information required by this item is incorporated by reference in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, under the captions entitled “Proposal 1—Election of Directors—Director Compensation Table,” “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” “Executive Compensation,” “Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” and “Compensation Committee Report.”
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Information required by this item setting forth the security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management is incorporated by reference in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, under the captions entitled “Certain Beneficial Ownership Matters—Security Ownership of Management,” “Certain Beneficial Ownership Matters—Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners” and “Equity Compensation Plan Information.”
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Information required by this item is incorporated by reference in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, under the caption entitled “Board of Directors and Corporate Governance—Board Review of Related Person Transactions” and “Proposal 1—Election of Directors—Director Independence.”
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
Information required by this item is incorporated by reference in the Company’s Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, under the caption entitled “Proposal 3—Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm—Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and “Proposal 3—Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm—Pre-Approval of Services Provided by Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.”
PART IV
Item 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a) The following documents have been filed as a part of this Form 10-K:
1.The financial statements listed in the “Index to Consolidated Financial Statements” contained in Item 8—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Form 10-K are hereby incorporated by reference in response to this Item 15(a).
2.Financial statement schedules have been omitted since they are either not required or are not applicable as the information is otherwise included in the financial statements or notes thereto.
3.Exhibits. The list of documents contained in “Exhibit Index” below is provided in response to this Item 15(a). The warranties, representations and covenants contained in any of the agreements included or incorporated by reference herein or which appear as exhibits hereto should not be relied upon by buyers, sellers or holders of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ securities and are not intended as warranties, representations or covenants to any individual or entity except as specifically set forth in such agreement.
The responses to Items 15(b) and (c) of Form 10-K are included above in response to Item 15(a).
EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit Number | Exhibit Description | |||||||
| 32.2 | Certification of M. Susan Hardwick, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (furnished herewith). | |||||||
| 101.INS | XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. | |||||||
| 101.SCH | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document | |||||||
| 101.CAL | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document | |||||||
| 101.DEF | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document | |||||||
| 101.LAB | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document | |||||||
| 101.PRE | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document | |||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL with applicable taxonomy extension information contained in Exhibits 101) |
Certain schedules and exhibits to this agreement have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Company will furnish the omitted schedules and exhibits to the SEC upon request.
- Denotes a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
Instruments defining the rights of holders of certain issues of long-term debt of the Company and certain of its consolidated subsidiaries have not been filed as exhibits to this report because the authorized principal amount of any one of such issues does not exceed 10% of the Company’s consolidated total assets. The Company agrees to furnish a copy of each such instrument to the SEC upon request.
The Stock Purchase Agreement filed as Exhibit 2.1 to this Form 10-K has been included to provide investors and security holders with information regarding its terms. It is not intended to provide any other factual information about the parties thereto, or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Stock Purchase Agreement (i) were made by the parties thereto only for purposes of that agreement and as of specific dates; (ii) were made solely for the benefit of the parties to the Stock Purchase Agreement; (iii) may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties, including being qualified by confidential disclosures exchanged between the parties in connection with the execution of the Stock Purchase Agreement (such disclosures include information that has been included in public disclosures, as well as additional non-public information); (iv) may have been made for the purposes of allocating contractual risk between the parties to the Stock Purchase Agreement instead of establishing these matters as facts; and (v) may be subject to standards of materiality applicable to the contracting parties that differ from those applicable to investors.
Investors should not rely on the representations, warranties and covenants or any descriptions thereof as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of the parties thereto, or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates. Additionally, the representations, warranties, covenants, conditions and other terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement may be subject to subsequent waiver or modification. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations, warranties and covenants may change after the date of the Stock Purchase Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in the Company’s public disclosures. The Stock Purchase Agreement should not be read alone, but should instead be read in conjunction with the other information regarding the Company and its New York subsidiary that is or will be contained in, or incorporated by reference into, the reports and other documents that are filed by the Company with the SEC.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on the 24th day of February, 2021.
| AMERICAN WATER WORKS COMPANY, INC. | |||||
| BY: | /s/ WALTER J. LYNCH | ||||
| Walter J. Lynch | |||||
| President and Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been signed on the 24th day of February, 2021, by the following persons in the capacities indicated.
| /s/ WALTER J. LYNCH | /s/ JEFFREY N. EDWARDS | |||||||
| Walter J. Lynch President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer and Director) | Jeffrey N. Edwards (Director) | |||||||
| /s/ M. SUSAN HARDWICK | /s/ MARTHA CLARK GOSS | |||||||
| M. Susan Hardwick Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) | Martha Clark Goss (Director) | |||||||
| /s/ MELISSA K. WIKLE | /s/ VERONICA M. HAGEN | |||||||
| Melissa K. Wikle Vice President and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) | Veronica M. Hagen (Director) | |||||||
| /s/ KIMBERLY J. HARRIS | /s/ JULIA L. JOHNSON | |||||||
| Kimberly J. Harris (Director) | Julia L. Johnson (Director) | |||||||
| /s/ PATRICIA L. KAMPLING | /s/ KARL F. KURZ | |||||||
| Patricia L. Kampling (Director) | Karl F. Kurz (Chairman of the Board) | |||||||
| /s/ JAMES G. STAVRIDIS | /s/ LLOYD M. YATES | |||||||
| James G. Stavridis (Director) | Lloyd M. Yates (Director) |