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Iowa American Water Now Accepting Applications for 2020 Environmental Grant Program

Since the program began in Iowa, almost $87,000 in grants has been awarded to projects that improve, restore or protect local watersheds

DAVENPORT, IA (Feb. 18, 2020) – Iowa American Water announced today that it is now accepting applications for its 2020 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, 2020 and November 30, 2020
  • 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 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 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 2019, Iowa American Water presented five grants totaling $10,900 as follows:

• River Action, Inc. was awarded a $3,500 grant for its QC Flood Resiliency Alliance project. Stakeholders in the Upper Mississippi River watershed formed a new flood alliance let by River Action and the US Army Corps of Engineers. This alliance educates the public, identifies and helps mitigate flood hazard areas and helps create policies to improve CRS ratings.

• Davenport West High School INSPIRE Engineering Capstone was awarded $2,500 for its INSPIRE Engineering: Water Education project. The Water Education project focused on engaging and educating the QC community on the privilege of having access to portable water. Our community members were trained to become clean water advocates for communities around the world by learning about the water life cycle of their community versus communities with blighted access to water. In 2019-2021, the educational materials and strategies developed within our community will be implemented in communities in Kenya for water education.

• Keep Scott County Beautiful was awarded $2,000 for its Xstream Cleanup 15 Year Anniversary Resupply project. Xstream Cleanup sought funds to restock watershed cleanup supplies, specifically the litter tongs used by hundreds of volunteers throughout the year. Funding this project allows Xstream Cleanup to continue providing the tools volunteers need to be effective in cleaning up local area watersheds.

• Scott County Conservation Board was awarded $1,700 for its West Lake Park Watershed Protection and Education Demonstration Bio-Swale Project. West Lake Park has begun a complete drainage and restoration of the four lakes in the park. The first phase involved the construction of four watershed protection ponds and one educational bio-swale. The demonstration bio-swale is located in the area of the beach and boat rental area where hundreds of thousands of people will see the bioswale and the educational signage on this environmentally-friendly project.

• Partners of Scott County Watersheds was awarded $1,200 for its In-Stream Bioremediation Filters project. This project utilized recycled plastic bio-matrix material to be installed in-stream to reduce nutrients and bacteria, improve biological indicators and stream morphology. Before and after assessments of the stream’s geo-morphology and water quality parameters (for nutrients, bacteria and biological indicators) were conducted to determine and track improvements over time.

About Iowa American Water
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 212,000 people. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to more than 14 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

Media Contact:
Lisa Reisen, External Affairs Manager
563-468-9221
Lisa.Reisen@amwater.com

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