Cover and table of contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024

OR

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)

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:

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.

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. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

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—$22,045,400,000 as of June 28, 2024 (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 28, 2024, 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 28, 2024, to be controlled by, or under common control with, American Water or any such persons 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—194,947,313 shares as of February 10, 2025.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the American Water Works Company, Inc. definitive proxy statement for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after December 31, 2024 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K, or incorporated by reference therein, 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; the timing and amount of rate and revenue adjustments, including through general rate case filings, filings for infrastructure surcharges and other governmental agency authorizations and proceedings, and filings to address regulatory lag; the Company’s ability to execute its current and long-term business, operational, capital expenditures and growth plans and strategies; the timing and outcome of pending or future acquisition activity, and the ability to achieve organic customer growth; the ability of the Company’s California subsidiary to obtain adequate alternative water supplies in lieu of diversions from the Carmel River; the amount, allocation and timing of projected capital expenditures and related funding requirements; the Company’s ability to repay or refinance debt; the future impacts of increased or increasing financing costs, inflation and interest rates; the Company’s ability to finance current and projected operations, capital expenditure needs and growth initiatives by accessing the debt and equity capital markets and sources of short-term liquidity; the outcome and impact on the Company of governmental and regulatory investigations, class action lawsuits, and other litigation and legal proceedings, and related potential fines, penalties and other sanctions; the ability to meet or exceed the Company’s stated environmental and sustainability goals, including its greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emission reduction, water delivery efficiency and water system resiliency goals; the ability to complete, and the timing and efficacy of, the design, development, implementation and improvement of technology and other strategic initiatives; the Company’s ability to comply with new and changing environmental regulations; the ability to capitalize on existing or future utility privatization opportunities; trends in the water and wastewater industries in which the Company operates, including macro trends with respect to the Company’s efforts and projects related to customer, technology and work efficiency and 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:

• the decisions of governmental and regulatory bodies, including decisions to raise or lower customer rates;

• 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;

• changes in customer demand for, and patterns of use of, water and energy, such as may result from conservation efforts, or otherwise;

• 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;

• a loss of one or more large industrial or commercial customers due to adverse economic conditions, or other factors;

• present and future proposed changes in laws, governmental regulations and policies, including with respect to the environment (such as, for example, potential improvements to existing Federal regulations with respect to lead and copper service lines and galvanized steel pipe), health and safety, data and consumer privacy, security and protection, water quality and water quality accountability, contaminants of emerging concern (including without limitation per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (collectively, “PFAS”)), 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;

• the Company’s ability to collect, distribute, use, secure and store consumer data in compliance with current or future governmental laws, regulations and policies with respect to data and consumer privacy, security and protection;

• 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 and epidemics, earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, electrical storms, sinkholes and solar flares;

• the outcome of litigation and similar governmental and regulatory proceedings, investigations or actions;

• the risks associated with the Company’s aging infrastructure, and its ability to appropriately improve the resiliency of or maintain, update, redesign and/or replace, current or future infrastructure and systems, including its technology and other assets, and manage the expansion of its businesses;

• 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, and impacts from required or voluntary public and other disclosures, as well as civil class action and other litigation or legal, regulatory or administrative proceedings, related thereto;

• the Company’s ability to obtain permits and other approvals for projects and construction, update, redesign and/or replacement of various water and wastewater facilities;

• changes in the Company’s capital requirements;

• the Company’s ability to control operating expenses and to achieve operating efficiencies, and the Company’s ability to create, maintain and promote initiatives and programs that support the affordability of the Company’s regulated utility services;

• the intentional or unintentional actions of a third party, including contamination of the Company’s water supplies or the water provided to its customers;

• the Company’s ability to obtain and have delivered adequate and cost-effective supplies of pipe, equipment (including personal protective equipment), chemicals, power and other fuel, water and other raw materials, and to address or mitigate supply chain constraints that may result in delays or shortages in, as well as increased costs of, supplies, products and materials that are critical to or used in the Company’s business operations;

• the Company’s ability to successfully meet its operational growth projections, either individually or in the aggregate, and capitalize on growth opportunities, including, among other things, with respect to:

• acquiring, closing and successfully integrating regulated operations;

• the Company’s Military Services Group (“MSG”) entering into new military installation contracts, price redeterminations, and other agreements and contracts, with the U.S. government; and

• realizing anticipated benefits and synergies from new acquisitions;

• risks and uncertainties following the completion of the sale of the Company’s Homeowner Services Group (“HOS”), including:

• the Company’s ability to receive amounts due, payable and owing to the Company under the amended secured seller note when due; and

• the ability of the Company to redeploy successfully and timely the net proceeds of this transaction into the Company’s Regulated Businesses;

• risks and uncertainties associated with contracting with the U.S. government, including ongoing compliance with applicable government procurement, security and cybersecurity regulations;

• cost overruns relating to improvements in or the expansion of the Company’s operations;

• the Company’s ability to successfully develop and implement new technologies and to protect related intellectual property;

• the Company’s ability to maintain safe work sites;

• the Company’s exposure to liabilities related to environmental laws and regulations, including those enacted or adopted and under consideration, and the substances related thereto, including without limitation copper, lead and galvanized steel, PFAS and other contaminants of emerging concern, and similar matters resulting from, among other things, water and wastewater service provided to customers;

• the ability of energy providers, state governments and other third parties to achieve or fulfill their GHG emission reduction goals, including without limitation through stated renewable portfolio standards and carbon transition plans;

• changes in general economic, political, business and financial market conditions;

• access to sufficient debt and/or equity capital on satisfactory terms and as needed to support operations and capital expenditures;

• fluctuations in inflation or interest rates, and the Company’s ability to address or mitigate the impacts thereof;

• the 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;

• fluctuations in the value of, or assumptions and estimates related to, its benefit plan assets and liabilities, including with respect to its pension and other post-retirement benefit plans, that could increase expenses and plan funding requirements;

• changes in federal or state general, income and other tax laws, including (i) future significant tax legislation or regulations (including without limitation impacts related to the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (“CAMT”)), and (ii) the availability of, or the Company’s compliance with, the terms of applicable tax credits and tax abatement programs;

• migration of customers into or out of the Company’s service territories and changes in water and energy consumption resulting therefrom;

• 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, including without limitation litigation and other proceedings with respect to the water system assets of the Company’s California subsidiary (“Cal Am”) located in Monterey, California (the “Monterey system assets”), or the assertion by private landowners of similar rights against such utility subsidiaries;

• 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;

• the incurrence of impairment charges, changes in fair value and other adjustments related to the Company’s goodwill or the value of its other assets;

• labor actions, including work stoppages and strikes;

• the Company’s ability to retain and attract highly qualified and skilled employees and talent;

• civil disturbances or unrest, or terrorist threats or acts, or public apprehension about future disturbances, unrest, or terrorist threats or acts; and

• 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 Annual Report on 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 Annual Report on 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