American Water Under Investigation for Cyberattack and Data Breach Potentially Affecting 14 Million Customers

Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP is investigating a cyberattack and data breach potentially affecting the private information of up to 14 million customers of American Water Works Company, Inc., a New Jersey-based water and wastewater utility company that operates in 14 states and manages 500 water systems.

On October 7, 2024, American Water announced in a Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it experienced a cybersecurity incident. The company shut down its MyWater customer portal and is pausing billing until further notice. 

American Water has failed to inform its customers whether their private information was stolen by the hackers in the attack, only stating on its website that it will “provide more information when and as appropriate.” The company collects and requires its customers to provide personally identifiable information, including names, emails, postal addresses, phone numbers, location information, Internet and other electronic network activity, financial information, health information, and other sensitive personal data.

If your private information was impacted by this incident, you may be at risk of identity theft, financial fraud, and other serious violations of your privacy. As a result, you may be entitled to money damages and an injunction requiring changes to the company’s cybersecurity practices.

 If you received notification of this data breach or are a current or former customer of American Water and wish to obtain additional information about your legal rights, please contact us.