For Congresswoman Cheri Bustos’ (D-17) 88th “Cheri On Shift”, she learned some of the ropes at Illinois American Water.
“This is the way I find out what’s going on, what people do for a living. And in this case, learning about the water,” Bustos said.
Bustos had the opportunity to be hands on with the team and learn about water quality testing, she spoke with a full time operator, as well as with field operators and office staff.
1470 &; 100.3 WMBD/Kristina Leahy
“When we wake up and we just turn on our tap, and we take our shower, and take our first drink of water in the morning, you realize that there is a heck of a lot of work going on to make that happen,” Bustos said.
Karen Cotton, spokesperson for Illinois American Water, said they honor the trust that has been put upon them for residents to have clean water.
“A lot of people just turn on the tap, sometimes they even turn on the tap in the middle of the night without turning on the light, and they grab a drink of water and they trust that it’s safe,” Cotton said. “So, we don’t take that for granted. We understand the trust that is built in us, and we really honor that to serve our customers”.
Having Bustos job shadow at the plant Wednesday added to the celebrating of Illinois American Water serving the Peoria area for 130 years.
Bustos presented Illinois American Water with a Congressional Record to honor their 130th year of operation.
“We’re excited to highlight the heart of our team, and our operations, our employees,” Cotton said. “They’re our best assets”.
1470 & 100.3 WMBD/Kristina Leahy
