AMERICAN WATER* Charge (What It Is + Is It Legit?)

When American Water processes monthly water bill payments, the charge descriptor "AMERICAN WATER*" shows up on bank statements because their billing system uses an asterisk as a separator character, a common convention among utility payment processors to distinguish the company name from additional billing reference data that may follow, such as an account number or service region. American Water serves customers across multiple states through various subsidiaries, and the asterisk-based format is standard practice within the payment processing infrastructure they use to handle recurring utility transactions. If you see "AMERICAN WATER*" on your statement, it is almost certainly your routine monthly water service charge from American Water, typically around $50.

No, this is a legitimate charge from American Water. However, if you did not authorize this charge or cancelled your subscription, you may be eligible for a refund.

Frequently Asked Questions