American Water Announces 2017 Environmental Grant Award Recipients
August 18 2017 - 11:51AM
Business Wire
Company Awards Nearly $168,000 to 44
Community Improvement Projects
American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest publicly traded U.S.
water and wastewater utility company, announced today the
recipients of the company’s 2017 Environmental Grant Program
awards. Forty-four projects throughout American Water’s service
areas in nine states will be supported by grants totaling nearly
$168,000.
Established in 2005, American Water’s Environmental Grant
Program offers funds for innovative, community-based environmental
projects that improve, restore or protect the watersheds, surface
water and/or groundwater supplies in the communities it serves.
“Each of these 44 organizations has made a commitment to make a
difference within the communities we serve and we are proud to
support these projects and the people behind them,” said Susan
Story, president and CEO of American Water. “After 12 years, our
environmental grant program has provided more than $1.4 million of
needed support for 413 projects to help improve, restore and
protect our valuable natural resources through partnerships. We are
very proud to work alongside these community partners and
organizations to help safeguard our water resources.”
The 2017 grant recipients, which are located throughout American
Water’s service areas, include the following:
IllinoisIllinois American
Water issued seven grants totaling $20,300 to the following
organizations:
- Foundation for Ohio River
Education received a $2,500 grant to fund the Ohio River Sweep,
which will supply gloves and trash bags to volunteers cleaning up
the river.
- Gifts In The Moment Foundation
received a $7,250 grant for the Urban Agriculture Rain Water
Collection and Transportation System project, which will use
collected rain to water community garden and agriculture sites via
a portable water trailer.
- Heartlands Conservancy will use
its $2,800 grant for the Signal Hills outdoor classroom project to
create an outdoor classroom for students to learn about water
quality and native habitat.
- Hickory Creek Watershed Planning
Group will utilize their $4,200 grant for the Hickory Creek
Environmental Interpretive Signs and Story Mapping project. The
project focuses on raising awareness about best management
practices within the Hickory Creek watershed. Three rain gardens
will also be installed.
- Pekin Park District received a
$2,000 grant for the continued Lick Creek Watershed Invasive
Species Control and Restoration project to eliminate invasive
species along the Lick Creek corridor.
- Peoria Park District was awarded
a $550 grant to support the annual Illinois River Sweep, which will
supply two dumpsters and complete tire recycling.
- Peoria Playhouse Children's
Museum received a $1,000 grant for the Wonders of Water
project, which will support five scholarships to the water camp.
Illinois American Water's team will offer lessons at the camp.
IndianaIndiana American
Water issued three grants totaling $11,000 to the following
organizations:
- Chances & Services for Youth
was awarded $2,500 to install a splash pad at Booker T. Washington
Park in Terre Haute, Ind. that includes a gray water component and
several other conservation features. The project includes a
1,200-gallon holding tank for collection of the gray water, which
will be used to irrigate a community garden located next to the
splash pad.
- City of Kokomo received $5,000
for the Washington Street Stream Bank Modification Project. The
City of Kokomo is partnering with several local organizations to
remove concrete debris, fill material and several storage buildings
along the Wildcat Creek at Washington Street near the site of a
senior living facility that is under construction. Funds from this
grant will be used to help control erosion and revegetate the
stream bank with native plants.
- City of Gary was awarded $3,500
for the Tree Planting & Maintenance/Education Project. The City
of Gary, Ind. Department of Environmental Affairs will be
coordinating with several organizations to plant approximately 100
trees within the Little Calumet River watershed. The project also
includes retrofitting a trailer to water the trees, and conducting
a public education and outreach program on the environmental and
quality of life benefits that trees provide and how to properly
plant and maintain them,
IowaIowa American Water
issued five grants totaling nearly $8,500 to the following
organizations:
- City of Davenport Parks &
Recreation Department was awarded $2,500 for its
Water Quality Improvement Project in VanderVeer Botanical
Park’s Lagoon. The project will decrease the level of
nitrates, nitrites and phosphates with the installation of
BioHaven floating islands.
- Scott Community College
Environmental Club will use its $2,000 for its Crow Creek
Watershed Protection and Biodiversity Project. The project will
restore six acres of tallgrass prairie in the Crow Creek
drainage basin, erosion and runoff to the creek will
be reduced resulting in better water quality, and biodiversity
will be increased on the site as native species of grasses and
forbs will be restored.
- Nahant Marsh Education Center
was awarded $1,875 for its Sedge Meadow Restoration and
Enhancement project, Phase II. Nahant Marsh staff and volunteers
will expand prairie and sedge meadow restoration efforts to
include an additional eight acres for a total of 15.5
acres.
- River Action, Inc. will utilize
a $1,200 grant for its Retain the Rain Interactive Display
project, which will update an interactive Retain the Rain kiosk to
include bioreactors and floating wetland islands, increase
kiosk visibility and user ship. Kiosk will be upgraded from
250-pound unit to a light 55-pound unit with a touchscreen
display.
- Prince of Peace Catholic School A.P.
Environment Class was awarded $850 for its Watershed
Restoration Project. Students have begun a
labor-intensive restoration of a small marsh, invaded by
Phragmites reeds. Over the next decade, the class will
continue removing this invasive plant and publicize progress in
restoring the watershed and encouraging other landowners'
restoration efforts.
KentuckyKentucky American
Water issued four grants totaling $13,700 for the following
projects:
- Water Quality Improvements through
Waste Tire Collection and Removal coordinated by the city of
Winchester in partnership with the Clark County Solid Waste
Department, the Clark County Jail and the citizens of Winchester,
will utilize its grant to educate citizens about the potential
threat to water quality and human health that stockpiling old tires
creates, and assist in the removal of the equivalent of 1,000
passenger waste tires over a two-month period.
- Riparian Vegetation Showcase on Wolf
Run: Community Garden, coordinated by the Friends of Parks of
Fayette County in partnership with the Friends of Wolf Run, Fayette
County Public Schools, Bluegrass Woodland Restoration Center and
Good Foods Co-Op, will use its grant to extend a vegetative buffer
along a branch of Wolf Run Creek on formerly residential property
acquired by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. The
riparian greenway established will include a community garden that
will serve as a teaching garden, as well, for nearby high school
students and others. The project also involves projects to remove
invasive species, weeds and trash.
- Data Driven Clean Water,
coordinated by the Licking River Watershed Watch in partnership
with Strodes Creek Conservancy, the City of Millersburg, Bourbon
County Planning Office, Millersburg Garden Club, Green Thumb Club,
J. Sweitzer Canoe and 3M Company, will use its grant to engage
volunteers to conduct water quality monitoring of creeks and
streams in multiple counties in the Licking River watershed as well
as complete a rain garden project and creek and stream cleanups in
the area, engaging multiple organizations and citizens.
- Innovative Conservation Easement
Tracking and Reporting Project, coordinated by The Nature
Conservancy in partnership with landowners along the Kentucky
River, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and more, will
use its funds to purchase equipment to assist in the tracking and
reporting of conservation easements while providing additional
support for the Fire Management Program in the same areas.
MissouriMissouri American
Water issued three grants totaling $29,500 to the following
organizations:
- St. Louis ArtWorks will use its
$15,000 grant to support one of ArtWorks’ Summer Apprentice
Programs called BloomWorks. In a partnership with Great Rivers
Greenway and Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, St. Louis
ArtWorks will be providing job training through a three-dimensional
design program where teen apprentices will create a wayfinding
sculpture depicting the Missouri River Watershed that will be
installed near Boone’s Crossing at the Katy Trail.
- Missouri River Relief received a
$10,000 grant for a river cleanup project on the Missouri
River.
- Wildcat Glades will use its
$4,500 for the 8th Annual Shoal Creek Water Festival, an event that
promotes watershed protection for the main source of drinking water
in Joplin, Mo. Activities range from cardboard boat races to a
fishing derby.
New JerseyNew Jersey
American Water issued four grants totaling $29,000 to the following
organizations:
- Bridgewater Township Environmental
Commission was awarded $6,500 to install a demonstrative native
plant garden with bee-friendly habitat and bee-friendly water bath
at the Bridgewater Library. This project will provide continuous
education to the citizens of the Bridgewater Community as well as
the residents of Somerset County.
- Manasquan Board Riders Club will
utilize its $2,500 grant to establish a year-round project aimed at
enhancing environmental awareness and stewardship on keeping
beaches, parks, coastal waterways and estuaries litter free, titled
“Leave Only Your Footprints.”
- South Orange Township will use
its $10,000 grant to build a Rain Park based on the premise of a
rain garden that will capture storm water runoff that normally
flows directly into the East Branch of the Rahway River. Rain parks
use native plants, infiltration, and innovative design to reduce
large amounts of rainwater, create play spaces for kids, relaxing
destinations for friends, and examples of sustainability.
- Stockton University American
Association of University Women (AAUW) was awarded $10,000 to
enhance a summer camp course, “Our Water” located at New Jersey’s
only TechTrek Camp. This program will immerse these students in
weeklong hands-on environmental science curriculum, featuring
take-home watershed protection projects that each student can bring
back to her home watershed management area.
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
American Water issued eight grants totaling nearly $30,000 to the
following organizations:
- Allegheny Land Trust was awarded
a grant for dumpsite cleanups at Dead Man’s Hollow Conservation
Area, a protected green space with several tributaries to the
Youghiogheny River. The cleanups will allow further habitat
restoration and stream water monitoring.
- California University of
Pennsylvania will use its funding to support a fish and
macroinvertebrate survey of the Youghiogheny River that will
enhance water quality management, along with existing survey
information. The information will also be used for continued
monitoring by local school groups within the watershed.
- Delaware River Basin Commission
will use its grant to purchase markers and equipment that the Boy
Scouts will apply on storm drains in the Yardley and Nazareth
areas, alerting residents about their impact on the Delaware River
Watershed.
- Misericordia University, in
partnership with Lehman Sanctuary, will use its funds to install
and utilize advanced telemetry equipment to monitor water quality
on the sanctuary’s property. The project will advance understanding
of the biodiversity and allow remote monitoring of environmental
conditions for school groups at the location
- River Alert Information Network
will use its grant monies to coordinate watershed groups along with
the Allegheny Watershed Alliance to identify local source water
protection issues. Additionally, informational literature will be
developed to educate community groups on source water
protection.
- South Fayette Conservation Group
will purchase a groundwater and rainmaker model to be used as a
hands-on educational tool to help students better understand point
source and non-point pollution.
- Upper Allen Township’s grant
will support a riparian buffer project in Simpson Park along the
Yellow Breeches Creek. Volunteers will plant new trees and shrubs
to help stabilize the streambank as part of an ongoing riparian
project.
- West Norriton Township will use
its funding to support the Schuylkill River Invasive Weeds project,
aimed at removing invasive plant species from the Norristown Basin,
improving water quality along the river and habitats for
wildlife.
TennesseeTennessee American
Water issued three grants totaling $10,000 to the following
organizations:
- Hamilton County Coalition was
awarded $4,500 to expand its community drug take-back project.
Expansion will increase awareness and reduce the pharmaceuticals in
water supply and keep potentially dangerous medications off the
streets to prevent overdose and abuse.
- Lookout Mountain Conservancy
will use its $3,000 grant for a watershed improvement through
partnership with the Howard School leadership & Intern Program
and a ninth Grade Environmental Science class on the Lookout
Mountain Conservancy property as an outdoor classroom.
- TennesSEA (Student Environmental
Alliance) will use its $2500 grant monies to initiate a
community-based watershed alliance in which local residents,
business owners, and school children work together to protect and
restore the Mountain Creek and Stringer’s Branch
watersheds. Participants will beta test a new “Water Watch
Mobile App” to get Stream Teams out into the creeks to check water
quality, reporting the data and findings back through the app.
West VirginiaWest Virginia
American Water will issue seven grants totaling $15,360 to the
following organizations:
- Capitol Conservation District
will use its $2,500 grant for their Soil Tunnel Trailer.
- Boone County Career & Technical
Center was awarded $3,100 to purchase Riparian buffers and
educational packets as part of a watershed clean-up project.
- Ernie Nester Chapter Trout
Unlimited was awarded $500 for temperature monitoring for Trout
in the Classroom.
- Marshall University will use its
$2,000 for the Creek Geek watershed education program.
- Ona Elementary School will
receive $1,760 for creation of a classroom living stream.
- West Virginia University Extension
Service will use its $5,000 grant monies for a mobile livestock
facility.
- Southern Appalachian Labor
School was awarded $500 for the purchase of collection
containers during the drug take-back program.
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the
largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly-traded water
and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,800
dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based
drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an
estimated 15 million people in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More
information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.
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American WaterJoseph SzafranExternal Affairs
Manager856-309-4690joseph.szafran@amwater.com
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