Largest US water utility hit by cyberattack

The largest water and wastewater utility company in the U.S. was hit by a cyberattack, forcing it to temporarily pause billing for its customers, the company announced Monday.

American Water became informed of "unauthorized activity" in its computer networks and systems last Thursday, the company said in a press release.

The New Jersey-based company later determined the activity was due to a cybersecurity incident" prompting it to disconnect or deactivate certain systems. This included shutting down the company's portal used to bill customers, while its call center has "limited functionality."

The company said it is "working diligently" to get the disconnected systems back online while noting the third-party investigation by cybersecurity professionals could take some time.

American Water, which serves an estimated 14 million people in 14 states, said it also notified law enforcement and are cooperating them.

The utility company's water or wastewater facilities and operations are not believed to have been negatively affected by the cybersecurity attack and the water remains safe to drink, according to the company.

"Our dedicated team of professionals are working around the clock to investigate the nature and scope of the incident," officials wrote. "We sincerely regret any inconvenience this incident may cause, and we are working diligently to remediate and to bring these systems back online in a safe and secure manner."

The company manages an estimated 540 groundwater treatment plants in about 1,700 U.S. communities across 14 states including California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.