CHERRY HILL, N.J., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the Israeli Knesset's highest ranking members, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, minister of industry, trade and labor, met Tuesday with executives of New Jersey American Water at the company's state-of-the-art Delaware River Regional Water Treatment Plant in Delran, NJ. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090917/PH77435 ) The minister met with New Jersey American Water President John Bigelow and the company's vice president of engineering, Suzanne Chiavari, to exchange ideas, discuss the importance of upgrading water infrastructure, and to learn how the company operates and treats source water to make it potable for thousands of customers in southern New Jersey. "New Jersey American Water is honored that Minister Ben-Eliezer chose our water treatment facility to gain an understanding of how U.S. water utilities deliver service to customers," said Bigelow. "We enjoyed sharing information about how water utilities benefit communities and drive economic activity." Ben-Eliezer is the latest of several international visitors to show interest in New Jersey American Water operations. In recent months, the company has hosted delegations from China, Eastern Europe and Central Asia which have taken tours of New Jersey American Water treatment plants and learned about the company's water system. Ben-Eliezer was first elected to the Knesset in 1984 and has served in numerous roles in the Knesset -- including Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister. Born in Basra, Iraq, he immigrated to Israel in 1950 and later became a career soldier, finishing his military career as a Brigadier General in the Israeli Army. New Jersey American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE:AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.5 million people. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in 32 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found by visiting http://www.amwater.com/. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090917/PH77435 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: New Jersey American Water CONTACT: Richard Barnes of New Jersey American Water, +1-856-310-2245, Web Site: http://www.amwater.com/

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