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. Established in 2005, 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. To date, we have donated more than $650,000 to fund more than 135 projects to protect and improve the environment across the Commonwealth. 

For more information, please see our 2023 Program Brochure and Grant Application Form. Completed applications should be emailed to pa.communityrelations@amwater.com or sent to: Pennsylvania American Water, 852 Wesley Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA  17055, Attention: Lorrie Page.  

In 2023, 14 Environmental Grant recipients, listed below, received a share of grant funds totaling nearly $75,000 for their community-based projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds.  You can learn more about the impact of projects on local watersheds by visiting our Environmental Stewardship Map.

The 2023 grant projects are:

• Allegheny Cleanways, Allegheny County – Monongahela River Cleanup Series

With the funding, community volunteers will conduct cleanups of riverbanks along the Monongahela River from Donora to Point State Park.

• Annville Free Library, Lebanon County – Annville Free Library Rain Garden

Funding will support an educational rain garden to help manage runoff and educate the public on the benefits of rain gardens.

• Borough of Camp Hill, Cumberland County – Clock Courtyard Pollinator Garden

Partnering with local watershed groups, the borough will plant a pollinator garden with native plants and shrubs, educating the public on gardening with native plants and preserving pollinators.

• Borough of Steelton, Dauphin County – Watershed Education Programming and Clairton Community Garden Improvements

With the grant, the borough plans to construct several rain gardens and community food gardens to reduce stormwater runoff and address limited access to affordable and healthy food.

• Coatesville Youth Initiative, Chester County – Camp Quiet Thunder

Coatesville Youth Initiative will hold a summer camp for underserved youth to learn about their watershed while developing critical life and leadership skills. The campers will also hold a watershed cleanup and install rain gardens in Coatesville.

• Foundation for Ohio River Education (FORE) – Ohio River Sweep 2023

Funding will support the annual volunteer cleanup along the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela Rivers.

• Indiana County Conservation District – First Waves Indiana

First Waves Indiana plans to engage underserved youth in meaningful outdoor experiences, including tree planting, stream biology, paddleboarding, and fly fishing, with a resulting video of the program.

• Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County – Pollinator Garden Installation and Turf Grass Conversion

With the grant, the township will convert two community areas from turf grass to native pollinator meadows to promote reduction of non-point source pollution runoff to Yellow Breeches Creek and Cedar Run.

• Marywood University, Lackawanna County – Environmental Stewardship Camp

Funding will support a camp for students ages 10-14 in the Scranton School District, exposing students to water quality topics while exploring the Lackawanna River.

• Pennsbury School District, Bucks County – Rain Garden & Outdoor Educational Classroom

The grant will fund the construction of a rain garden in the courtyard of the William Penn Middle School. Students will learn about stormwater and watershed management, as well as pollinators.

• Pike County Conservation District – Pike County Guide to Clean Drinking Water

The grant will support the development of an educational brochure and web page educating the public on local drinking water sources and how to protect those sources from non-point source pollution from their properties.

• Stroud Water Research Center, Chester County – Providing Meaningful and Accessible Watershed Education to Underserved Audiences

Stroud Water will utilize its Watershed Education Mobile Lab to visit schools, communities, and summer camps to provide watershed education and skills for watershed protection.

• Three Rivers Waterkeeper, Allegheny County – Community-Based Water Stewardship

The project will expand watershed and source water protection along the Monongahela River, as well as train community stewards to detect and report pollution along the waterways.

• Watersheds of South Pittsburgh, Allegheny County – Watershed Education Programming and Clairton Community Garden Improvements

The organization plans to revitalize a community garden and conduct watershed educational workshops to highlight the importance of land use and green space on water quality.

A panel of judges selected the grant recipients from more than 50 applications, which were evaluated on such criteria as environmental need, innovation, community engagement and sustainability.

2022 Grant Recipient Lackawanna Heritage Valley will use funds for riparian zone restoration along the Lackanna Heritage Valley.  Pictured are Owen Worozbyt, LHVA, and Susan Turcmanovich, Pennsylvania American Water