The Company emphasizes that water company employees always have company-issued photo ID badges; If in doubt, call the water company to confirm a worker’s identity. Iowa American serves Clinton customers.
Iowa American Water today issued an advisory to customers to be wary of individuals posing as water company personnel to gain access to their home. This advisory comes after a customer in Davenport reported that two individuals knocked on her door claiming to be a water utility employees. The customer allowed the individuals access to her home, and unfortunately, while one person distracted the customer, the second stole property from the home. The Davenport Police Department is investigating the incident.
“For the safety of our customers, we are reminding them that our employees always carry company-issued photo ID badges and will never come to a customer’s home demanding access or a payment to avoid water shut off,” said Randy Moore, Iowa American Water president. “There is no need to feel uneasy about making someone wait outside while you confirm that person is a legitimate utility worker,” added Moore. Iowa American Water employees care about customers’ safety, and our employees don’t mind the wait. We believe it’s worth the peace of mind for our customers.”
Customers are always encouraged to contact our Customer Service Center at 1-866-641-2108 or our local number at 563-468-9201 if they are unsure of the identity of someone who comes to their home as a representative of Iowa American Water. It is always better to err on the side of safety and confirm someone’s identity before allowing them inside your home.
Iowa American Water recommends customers take the following steps to ensure their safety against imposters:
Stop and think: Are you expecting anyone to come to your home? Iowa American Water does not typically send a service worker to your home unannounced. They usually will have an appointment before showing up. An exception would be if there were a water main break in the neighborhood. Water company distribution workers routinely knock on customers’ doors to provide an advance notification if water service will be temporarily interrupted during main repairs; however, they typically do not request entry to a customer’s home.
Iowa American Water employees have company-issued photo ID cards to verify their employment. However, if you cannot see an ID card without opening your door; you should call the company’s customer service center at 1-866-641-2108 or the local office during normal business hours at 563-468-9201 for verification.
Iowa American employees drive company vehicles with an Iowa American logo printed on the side and have a uniform, jacket or hat with the company logo. For a customer service call, the vehicle would be visible to the customer and parked outside their home.
Iowa American Water employees do not request entry to your home after dark unless it is an emergency call requested by the customer or an appointment for service work that has been scheduled in advance by the customer.
Iowa American Water employees will NEVER come to a customer’s home demanding payment of an unpaid bill to avoid water shut off. Field employees are not allowed to accept payments from customers.
If in doubt, you should always contact the water company for employee verification or contact the local police department. You should always have the person wait outside behind a locked door while this is done. A legitimate worker won’t mind waiting while you verify their employment information.
Iowa American Water advises customers to never admit a person into their home if they are doubtful of that person’s identity. It is always much better to be safe than sorry.
About Iowa American Water
Iowa American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 212,000 people. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,900 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 46 states and Ontario, Canada. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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