ENVIRONMENTAL GRANT PROGRAM

Our commitment to protecting the environment runs deep and we’re proud to support the efforts of local organizations that share our vision.

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Established in 2009, our annual Environmental Grant Program offers funding for innovative, community-based environmental projects that improve, restore or protect the watersheds, surface water and groundwater supplies in our local communities. 

We are pleased to offer assistance to community partners to help make a positive impact on the environment, and we encourage you to apply.

To qualify for Environmental Grant funding, a proposed project must be:

  • Be located within New Jersey American Water’s service area;
  • Address a source water or watershed protection in the community;
  • Be completed between May 2022 and November 2022;
  • Be a new or innovative program for the community, 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);
  • Salaries and compensation for support of a project or program are ineligible for the grant.

For more information, please see our 2022 Program Brochure and Grant Application Form. If you have questions about the grant or grant process, please email njenvgrant@amwater.com.

The deadline to apply was April 7, 2022.

2022 Environmental Grant Recipients

In 2022, New Jersey American Water issued five grants totaling more than $40,000 to the following organizations: 

Cranford Public Library was awarded $1,000 to establish a Native Seed Library for Union County residents. The library will provide a curated collection of plant seeds with the goal of preserving local biodiversity by increasing native plant populations. Seeds will be distributed at no cost to residents with educational materials about planting, maintaining, and gathering future seeds from the plant.

The Hanson Foundation was awarded $10,000 for its biodiversity project in partnership with Enlightened Farm. This project will focus on restoring the natural local habitat by diversifying plant and animal species with a series of six pollinator, native plant, agricultural, and wildlife grazing plots across its 3-acre farm. Restoration of the farm will reduce soil displacement and flooding issues on the property and allow for increased penetration of rainwater back into the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer.

Rumson Borough Environmental Commission was awarded $10,000 for its Emerald Necklace Green Infrastructure Project inspired by the Fredrick Law Olmsted’s 200th Anniversary. The project will include three demonstration rain gardens with bioswales throughout the town. The Environmental Commission will host several workshops to educate the public on how to create their own rain garden and will provide starter kits. Webinars will also be posted to build a Rain Garden Ambassador program that will allow the program to be sustainable into the future.

Somerset County OEM was awarded $10,000 for county-wide reforestation efforts using native trees and shrubs to help mitigate flooding from stormwater runoff impacts in the county’s most vulnerable areas. These efforts will allow stormwater runoff to be taken up by root systems to create natural “storage areas” while providing clean water, habitat and food for local wildlife. Together with several municipal partners, this project will engage the local communities to learn about the benefits of reforestation has on the local watershed.

West Orange Township Environmental and Open Space Commission was awarded $10,000 for its “Down Stream to the River: Phase II” project which will continue the organization’s efforts around river clean-ups, restoration and education for the Rahway River and its connecting water bodies. The project will focus educating the ever-growing population in the region about the importance of consistently taking care of the rivers and streams that make up the local watershed.

To see previous grant recipients: 

List of towns and map of New Jersey American Water Service areas