UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 8-K
Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 15, 2022
American Water Works Company, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Commission File Number: 001-34028
| | | | | |
| Delaware | 51-0063696 |
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation) | (IRS Employer
Identification No.) |
1 Water Street
Camden, NJ 08102-1658
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
(856) 955-4001
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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| Title of Each Class | | Trading Symbol | | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered |
| Common stock, par value $0.01 per share | | AWK | | New York Stock Exchange |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR 230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR 240.12b-2).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 8.01. Other Events.
Illinois Commerce Commission (“ICC”) Approval of Order in Illinois-American Water Company (“Illinois American Water”) General Rate Case
On December 15, 2022, the ICC issued an order (the “Order”) approving the adjustment of base rates requested in a rate case filed on February 10, 2022 by Illinois American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water Works Company, Inc. (the “Company”). As updated in Illinois American Water’s June 29, 2022 rebuttal filing, the request sought $83 million in additional annualized revenues excluding previously recovered infrastructure surcharges. The additional revenue requested had been increased in the rebuttal filing to capture higher production costs and expected higher pension and other post-retirement benefit (“OPEB”) costs.
The Order approved a $67 million annualized increase in water and wastewater system revenues excluding previously recovered infrastructure surcharges, effective January 1, 2023, based on an authorized return on equity (“ROE”) of 9.78%, authorized rate base of $1,642 million, a common equity ratio of 49.00% and a debt ratio of 51.00%, compared to an authorized ROE of 9.79%, authorized rate base of $883.4 million, a common equity ratio of 49.80% and a debt ratio of 50.20%, as approved in Illinois American Water’s last rate case effective January 1, 2017. The annualized revenue increase is being driven primarily by (i) over $1.1 billion of water and wastewater system capital investments since Illinois American Water’s 2017 rate case order that have been completed or are planned through December 31, 2023, (ii) expected higher pension and other OPEB costs, and (iii) increases in production costs, including chemicals, fuel and power costs.
A copy of the press release issued by Illinois American Water on December 19, 2022 to announce the issuance of the ICC’s order has been filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference. References and links to websites and other information contained in the press release are not provided as active hyperlinks, and the information contained in or accessed through these hyperlinks shall not be incorporated into, or form a part of, this Current Report on Form 8-K. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements included in this Current Report on Form 8-K (or the exhibits thereto) are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by words with prospective meanings such as “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “predict,” “project,” “propose,” “assume,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “future,” “pending,” “goal,” “objective,” “potential,” “continue,” “seek to,” “may,” “can,” “will,” “should” and “could,” or the negative of such terms or other variations or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are predictions based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions regarding future events. They are not guarantees or assurances of any outcomes, performance or achievements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon them. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of estimates and assumptions, and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements included in this Current Report on Form 8-K as a result of the factors discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 16, 2022, and other filings with the SEC, and additional risks and uncertainties, including with respect to (1) the amount and timing of incremental future capital expenditures and investments to be made by Illinois American Water; (2) regulatory, legislative, local or municipal actions affecting the water and wastewater industries, which could adversely affect the Company or Illinois American Water; and (3) other economic, financial, political, business and other factors that may impact or affect the water and wastewater industries generally, the Company or Illinois American Water specifically.
These forward-looking statements are qualified by, and should be read together with, the risks and uncertainties set forth above and the risk factors included in the Company’s annual and quarterly reports as filed with the SEC, and readers should refer to such risks, uncertainties and risk factors in evaluating such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company does not have any obligation or intention to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all such factors. Furthermore, it may not be possible to assess the impact of any such factor on the Company’s or Illinois American Water’s business, either viewed independently or together, or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
The following exhibits to this Current Report have been provided herewith as noted below:
| | | | | | | | |
| Exhibit No. | | Description |
| 99.1* | | |
| 104 | | Cover Page Interactive Data File (the cover page XBRL tags are included and formatted as Inline XBRL). |
| * Filed herewith. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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| | | | AMERICAN WATER WORKS COMPANY, INC. |
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| Dated: | December 19, 2022 | | By: | /s/ JOHN C. GRIFFITH |
| | | | | John C. Griffith |
| | | | | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
