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Iowa American Water Now Accepting Applications for 2021 Environmental Grant Program

Since the program began in Iowa, almost $96,000 in grants has been awarded to projects that improve, restore or protect local watersheds

DAVENPORT, IA (Jan. 28, 2021) – Iowa American Water announced today that it is now accepting applications for its 2021 Environmental Grant Program to support innovative, community-based environmental projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds and community drinking water supplies. The program supports diverse types of activities, such as watershed cleanups, reforestation efforts, biodiversity projects, streamside buffer restoration projects, wellhead protection initiatives and hazardous waste collection efforts.

"Our Environmental Grant Program has been very successful in helping local organizations carry out meaningful, sustainable initiatives that benefit our watersheds,” said Randy Moore, president of Iowa American Water, "We encourage municipalities, schools, environmental organizations and civic groups to apply for a grant to support projects that will benefit a watershed in their community."

      To qualify, proposed projects

must be located in an Iowa American Water service area

    which includes Bettendorf, Blue Grass, Clinton, Davenport, Dixon, LeClaire, Panorama Park and Riverdale, Iowa and:
  • address a source water or watershed protection need in the community
  • be completed between May 1, 2021 and November 30, 2021
  • 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 Iowa American Water grant monies are utilized)

Grant awards will be judged on the program’s innovation for the community, the partnership with other organizations and program sustainability.

Grant information and application forms can be found online at www.iowaamwater.com. Applications should be postmarked by Wednesday, March 31, 2021 and mailed to Lisa Reisen, external affairs manager at Iowa American Water, 5201 Grand Avenue, Davenport, IA 52807. Applications can also be emailed to Lisa.Reisen@amwater.com.

    In 2020, Iowa American Water awarded five grants totaling $8,835 to the following organizations or projects:
  • Davenport West High STEM Boosters will be awarded a $2,000 grant for the Clean Water for Kenya Initiative & Local Water Education project -- Students and community partners are collaborating on the Clean Water for Kenya Initiative, which is expected to stop waterborne illness while maintaining flow rates that will ultimately save lives in Kenya. The project has two focus areas: a filtration system that will be implemented in Kenya and a local/international sanitary water education program.
  • Keep Scott County Beautiful will be awarded $2,000 for its Restocking Supplies for the 16th Annual Xstream Cleanup (XC) -- In the 16 years that XC has existed, Keep Scott County Beautiful has built a strong network of partner organizations and sponsors, including Iowa American Water. As the total from previous cleanups show, this support and collaboration has truly made a huge impact. The grant will allow XC to restock essential cleanup supplies used by hundreds of volunteers throughout the year.
  • Partners of Scott County Watersheds (PSCW) will be awarded a $1,835 grant to purchase Snapshot Water Quality Monitoring Supplies -- PSCW is currently borrowing water quality monitoring equipment from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, whose IOWATER program was discontinued in 2017 and will no longer be funded. PSCW will purchase its own testing supplies in order to continue its spring, summer and fall Snapshot volunteer water quality monitoring events and contribute to its 20+ years of water quality data.
  • River Action, Inc. will be awarded a $1,500 grant for its Junge Park Bluebell Planting Project. River Action and the City of Davenport will partner to convert a section of land in Junge Park into a natural area. The cropland will be transformed into a native prairie and woodland by 2021. The wooded area is full of invasive species, including honeysuckle, red canary grass, Japanese hops and garlic mustard. The funding will support a bluebell plugging project, which is a beautiful way to transform a wooded area.
  • Davenport Parks & Recreation will be awarded $1,500 for its Park Prairies program. There are multiple parks in the city with large areas of mown turf (Blue Grass). Davenport Parks & Recreation will implement native grass areas to help with infiltration of storm water along with adding more aesthetic walking paths in the parks.

Iowa American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 216,000 people. For more information, visit www.iowaamwater.com and follow Iowa American Water on Twitter and Facebook.


Media Contacts

Lisa Reisen

External Affairs Manager

NA

lisa.reisen@amwater.com