Iowa American Water to Award $7,000 for Local Watershed Projects through 2015 Environmental Grant Program

Iowa American Water announced today that three local watershed initiatives will be awarded funding through the company’s 2015 Environmental Grant Program. The recipients will share grant funds totaling $7,000 for community projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds.

“Our Environmental Grant Program is designed to help organizations carry out projects that benefit our waterways, raise awareness about the importance of water in our lives and promote community participation,” said Randy Moore, president of Iowa American Water. “We are pleased to support these worthwhile endeavors and extend our appreciation to the individuals and organizations that are making them happen.”

Grant applications were evaluated by a panel of judges based on criteria such as environmental need, innovation, community engagement and sustainability.

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

• River Action, Inc. will be awarded $4,500 for its Student Citizen Science at Lost Grove Lake Program. The program will provide environmental learning opportunities for 200 students at Lost Grove Lake, north of Scott County. In field experimental education will contribute to the overall improvement of student knowledge and understanding of ecosystem function and watershed management.
• Keep Scott County Beautiful will be 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 will help the community and our environment by clearing debris from 30-45 sites on Saturday, August 8. Last year volunteers removed approximately 33,000 pounds of debris from area waterways.
• Gateway ImpACT Coalition will be 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 (NYSE: AWK) is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs 6,400 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 at www.amwater.com.