American Water to deliver water and wastewater services for Vandenberg Air Force Base in California

Military Services Group, under utility firm American Water, has won a contract for ownership, operation and maintenance of the water and the wastewater systems at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, US.

The long term deal is expected to last for a 50-year period, during which it is expected to generate approximately $298m in revenue for the utility.

The contract is, however, subject to economic price adjustments every year.

Vandenberg Air Force Base is situated eight miles to the north-northwest of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County. The base is an Air Force Space Command installation spanning over an area of approximately 99,000 acres, including 15,000 feet of runway.

It is chiefly used for polar-orbiting space launches, research and development tests and for the launch of range operations for the US Department of Defense.

The base also comprises of military family housing (MFH) units and industrial facilities.

Military Services Group is reported to be a part of American Water’s market-based operations segment. It offers water and wastewater services to military installations across the US as part of the federal government’s Utilities Privatization Program.

It is also responsible for water and/or wastewater installations at 11 more US Army posts at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, Fort Sill in Oklahoma, Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, Scott Air Force Base Ill, Fort Rucker in Alabama, Fort Meade in Maryland, Fort Belvoir in Virginia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana, Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey and Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

American Water president and CEO Susan Story said: "We will now be serving 12 installations across the country and are committed to providing our servicemen and women and their families with reliable, high quality water and wastewater services for the next five decades and beyond."

American Water Military Services Group president Todd Duerr said: "We strive to become an integrated support unit of the Base – the water and sewer department – and to offer solutions that best meet the needs of their mission."