Four Union Utility Workers from New Jersey American Water Travel to Puerto Rico for Relief Work

VOORHEES, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#InfrastructureMatters–Four New
Jersey American Water employees joined a team of more than 300
AFL-CIO volunteers who traveled to Puerto Rico on Oct. 4 to help with
Hurricane Maria relief efforts. The employees who volunteered to join
this two-week assignment are Utility Mechanics Al Archila, Karl
Engallena and Jorge Perez and Meter Reader/Field Service Representative
Peter Gualtieri.

Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) President Mike Langford
contacted local union presidents Mike Esposito, Dasher Zsomboran and
Dave Quattrone to recruit skilled volunteers to join the delegation of
first responders, including nurses, doctors, firefighters, electricians,
pipefitters, equipment operators, engineers, carpenters and truck
drivers.

“I’m proud of our members for stepping up and responding to the
emergency,” said Langford. “This is what we do every day; repair,
repower and rebuild American communities. UWUA members get the job done!”

“When we learned of the AFL-CIO’s relief initiative and the opportunity
for some of our employees to participate, we jumped at the chance to
help them participate,” said Robert MacLean, President of New Jersey
American Water. “I am always impressed by how the union and the company
can solve problems quickly when we work together to meet a challenge,
and this mission is a terrific example of that.”

United Airlines donated free transportation aboard a Boeing 777 for the
flight from Newark International Airport to San Juan Luis Munoz Marin
International Airport. The plane also carried 35,000 pounds of relief
supplies.

Access to drinking water has been restored to 45 percent of Puerto Rico,
but more than half of the U.S. territory of 3.4 million is still going
without.

“I know my services are needed,” said Archila. “I have friends in Puerto
Rico and I’m looking forward to helping out. I always wanted to
volunteer and do the disaster relief work that needs to get done.”

Archila works in the New Jersey American Water’s Plainfield operations
center, Gualtieri is from the Belle Meade operations center, Engallena
works in the company’s Shrewsbury operations center and Perez is from
the Short Hills operations center.

New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the
largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high
quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately
2.7 million people. More information can be found at www.newjerseyamwater.com.
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the
largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded U.S. water and
wastewater utility company. The company employs 6,800 dedicated
professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water,
wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people
in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found by
visiting www.amwater.com.

Contacts

New Jersey American Water
Denise Venuti Free
Director of
Communications and External Affairs
856-782-2316
[email protected]