Pennsylvania's largest investor-owned water utility, Pennsylvania American Water, seeking to fund innovative community environmental projects through its Environmental Grants Program that improve, restore, or protect watersheds and surface and groundwater supplies in local communities. A recent call went out for new grantees, inviting all interested in participating with their ideas in this year's edition to apply.

Marcus Kohl, director of water quality and environmental compliance for Pennsylvania American Water, noted:

So many of our communities and local organizations work to improve our environment and our water resources.

How to apply?

To be considered, proposed projects must be:

• Located within the Pennsylvania American Water service area
• Completed between May and November of the grant funding year
• Be a new, innovative community initiative or serve as a significant expansion to an existing program
• Be carried out by a formal or informal partnership between two or more organizations
• Provide evidence of sustainability (continued existence after the grant monies are utilized)

The proposals, which must be sent before March 31, will be evaluated according to environmental need, innovation, community participation and sustainability. Winners will be notified at the end of April.

“We’re proud to continue offering this grant to support those initiatives and positively impact our natural resources,” added Kohl.

#NEWS Now accepting applications for the 2023 Environmental Grant Program, a long-standing initiative that aims to support local organizations that share American Water's environmental vision. https://t.co/bR1LHRWfTx pic.twitter.com/4PAR9JL8S3

— American Water (@amwater) January 18, 2023

Background 

Created in 2005, the annual grant program has donated more than $650,000 to fund more than 135 projects that protect and improve the environment throughout the Commonwealth.

In 2022, the program distributed close to $75,000 to the following 13 recipients:

Berks Nature (Berks County); Dormont Stormwater Authority (Allegheny County); Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (Luzerne County); East Pikeland Township (Chester County); Ellwood City (Lawrence County); Fairview Township (York County); Indiana County Conservation District; Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority (Lackawanna County); Lackawanna River Conservation Association (Lackawanna County); Three Rivers Waterkeeper (Allegheny County); Silver Spring Township (Cumberland County); Warren County Conservation District; and Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley (Northampton County).

Get to know: Pennsylvania American Water

The company is a subsidiary of American Water, which provides high-quality, reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 2.4 million people.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded water and wastewater utility in the U.S., employing more than 6,400 dedicated professionals serving more than 14 million people in 24 states.