Washington – This morning, American Water Works Company, Inc. and Essential Utilities, Inc. – the two largest U.S.-based corporate water utilities – announced their plan to merge under the name American Water. Already the largest U.S. water company, American Water will grow to serve an estimated 20 million people across 17 U.S. states. 

This latest merger is part of an alarming trend of water utility consolidation. In 2024, Corix Infrastructure, Inc. and SouthWest Water Company merged into Nexus Water Group, which American Water announced it was acquiring many systems from in May 2025. Separately, in 2022, the world’s largest water corporations, Veolia and Suez, merged into Veolia, which also owns and operates water systems across the United States.

In response to the development, Mary Grant, Water Program Director at Food & Water Watch issued the following statement:

“Control of our nation’s dwindling water resources is rapidly consolidating into the hands of fewer and larger profit-driven mega-corporations. When finalized, this merger will eliminate any pretense of competition in the private water sector. Monopoly power over basic water services leads to higher rates for households and local businesses at a time when the costs of so many family essentials are on the rise. From food to water to energy, our country faces an affordability crisis exacerbated by corporate monopolies. Communities must fight back to retain local decision-making, resist water privatization, and secure their own water democracy.”