Louisville Water to institute Juneteenth as company holiday

Louisville Water Company has been a community asset for more than 160 years and recognizes that as a major contributor to the local economy, it has the responsibility to be a leader when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. That is why the company will mark this Juneteenth (June 19) as a holiday.

The civil unrest that affected both our local community and our country brought many issues to the forefront. Over the past year Louisville Water began an effort to do better for its employees and the community, holding  ‘courageous conversations’ with employees, hiring diversity experts to help identify new ways of creating an inclusive and equitable environment, and awarding a high school senior a scholarship that was named for the earliest documented Black employees at Louisville Water.

“Acknowledging Juneteenth as a company holiday is a way for Louisville Water to take positive action,” said Spencer Bruce, Louisville Water President & CEO. “We want our employees to know that this day is important to the company and to reflect upon what it signifies in our history – the ending of slavery in this country.”

Because Juneteenth falls on a Saturday this year, Louisville Water customer service areas will be closed on Fri., June 18. Customers should utilize LouisvilleWater.com for questions and assistance on Friday. The company joins other city organizations in this observance.

Louisville Water will also provide water for the event on June 19 called “Juneteenth: Past, Present, Future” hosted by IDEAS xLab and the (Un)known Project. It begins at 12 p.m. with performances and poetry readings at the Roots 101 African American Museum at 124 North First Street. From there, participants will fill their water bottles with Louisville Pure Tap™ before walking to the (Un)known Project dedication site. For more information on this event, visit www.ideasxlab.com/unknown.