Illinois American Water announces 2017 Environmental Grant Program

ILLINOIS – The application process is now open for Illinois American Water’s 2017 Environmental Grant Program. The program supports innovative, community-based environmental projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds through partnerships. Diverse activities like watershed cleanups, reforestation efforts, biodiversity projects, streamside buffer restoration projects, wellhead protection initiatives and hazardous waste collection efforts are supported through grants of up to $10,000.

"Illinois American Water is committed to ensuring water quality through testing and treatment, as well as through consumer education and community source protection programs. We believe everyone is an environmental steward in protecting the nation’s water supplies, and this program is a way to help communities play an active role in this important effort,” said Bruce Hauk, Illinois American Water President.

To qualify, proposed projects must be located in an Illinois American Water service area and:

• address a source water or watershed protection need in the community
• be completed between May 1, 2017 and November 30, 2017
• 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 American Water grant monies are utilized)

In 2016, Illinois American Water issued six grants totaling $15,000 as follows:

• The Alton Community School District #11’s Rock Spring Park Watershed Restoration Project received a $4,000 grant to construct a bio retention system and rain garden in an outdoor classroom.
• The City of South Beloit received a $3,000 grant for the Nature at the Confluence Stream Team Programing which educates and engages residents through citizen stream monitoring, container gardening and more.
• Urbana Park District Douglas Creek Restoration Project received a $4,000 grant to restore native plants, trees and shrubs in the wetland and creek channel.
• Peoria Park District’s Illinois River Sweep received their full grant request of $1,500 to fund supplies for the annual Illinois River clean-up effort. Over 100 volunteers attended the event to remove trash and debris.
• The Pekin Park District received a $2,500 grant for the Lick Creek Watershed Invasive Species Control and Restoration project. Volunteers removed invasive species along 15 acres of the Lick Creek Corridor.

Grant information and application forms can be found online at www.illinoisamwater.com. Applications should be emailed to karen.cotton@amwater.com by March 27, 2017.

About Illinois American Water - Illinois 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 and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. Illinois American Water ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Water Utilities in the Midwest" according to J.D. Power’s 2016 Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM. American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. The company employs 6,700 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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