Iowa American Water Accepting Applications for 2016 Environmental Grant Program

Iowa American Water announced today that it is accepting applications for its 2016 Environmental Grant Program to support innovative, community-based environmental projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds and community drinking water supplies.

The program is designed to support 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:

• Address a source water or watershed protection need in the community
• Be completed between May 1, 2016 and November 30, 2016
• 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)
• Be located within one of Iowa American Water’s service areas in Clinton or the Iowa Quad Cities which includes Bettendorf, Davenport, LeClaire, Dixon, Panorama Park and Riverdale, Iowa.

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

Information and application requirements can be obtained directly from participating American Water state subsidiaries, or on the company website at:

http://www.amwater.com/files/2016%20Environmental%20Grant%20Program%20Brochure.pdf

Applications must be postmarked by Friday, April 1, 2016 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.

Recipients of Iowa American Water’s 2015 Environmental Grant Awards were as follows:

• River Action, Inc. was awarded $4,500 for its Student Citizen Science at Lost Grove Lake Program. The program provided environmental learning opportunities for 200 students at Lost Grove Lake, north of Scott County. In field experimental education also contributed to the overall improvement of student knowledge and understanding of ecosystem function and watershed management.
• Keep Scott County Beautiful was awarded $1,500 for Xstream Cleanup 2015. Xstream Cleanup is an annual Quad-City wide cleanup of streams, creeks, drainage areas and sections of the Mississippi River. About 1,500 volunteers helped the community and our environment by clearing debris from 30-45 sites.
• Gateway ImpACT Coalition was awarded a $1,000 grant for its Safe Disposal of Medication Project. One goal of the project is to increase community awareness and marketing, which includes working with local media, providers and partners, to use medication drop boxes for disposal of unneeded medication in a safe, convenient and environmental-friendly manner.

Iowa American Water, a subsidiary of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 195,000 people. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs approximately 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in more than 47 states as well as parts of Canada. More information can be found at www.amwater.com.