American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S., was forced to temporarily shut down its online customer service portal and pause billing services after being hit with a cyberattack.

After becoming aware of unauthorized activity in its computer networks Oct. 3, the Camden-based company determined hackers breached the systems, according to a notice posted online.

“Our team immediately activated our incident response protocols and third-party cybersecurity professionals to assist with containment, mitigation and an investigation into the nature and scope of the incident. We also notified law enforcement and are coordinating fully with them,” American Water said.

Upon learning of the issue, American Water said it disconnected and deactivated certain systems in an effort to protect customer data and prevent any further harm.

What customers should know

According to American Water, there will be no late charges or services shut off while its MyWater customer service portal is unavailable. Additionally, its call center has limited functionality currently.

“At this time, we currently believe that none of our water or wastewater facilities or operations have been negatively impacted by this incident,” the company said, adding that its team is working to safely restore the systems.

American Water said its investigation into the cyberattack is ongoing and “will take time to complete.”

“We take the cybersecurity of our systems with utmost seriousness and are taking additional steps to strengthen the cybersecurity of American Water’s systems. Our customers and the data we maintain remain our highest priorities,” the company said.

American Water plans to share more information “when and as appropriate” at amwater.com.

Founded in 1886, American Water provides drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 states and 18 military facilities.

It manages more than 500 water and wastewater systems in approximately 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Tech Intelligence:

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