The American Water Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit organization created by American Water, the parent company of American Water Resources, has awarded its 2019 Keep Communities Flowing Grant to eleven projects in seven states, including Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia. PEA is partnered with American Water Resources to offer the Philadelphia Water and Sewer Line Protection Program, an optional low-cost way for Philadelphia homeowners to protect against the cost of repairs to their exterior water and sewer lines.

“Funding provided through the Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program supports the completion of high impact community-focused projects that directly improve the quality of life for our customers and surrounding ecosystems,” said Carrie Williams, president of the American Water Charitable Foundation.  “We are proud to offer these types of funding opportunities to further American Water’s ongoing commitment to being a good neighbor and stewards of the environment.”

The American Water Charitable Foundation’s Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program provided grants to programs and projects that connected to one or more of American Water’s core focus areas of Water and the Environment, Water and Healthy Living, Environmental Education, and Community Sustainability.

Friends of the Wissahickon received $20,000 to support their community engagement program, Super Volunteer Service Days, that benefit Wissahickon Valley Park in northwest Philadelphia.

“The American Water Charitable Foundation Grant will help support Friends of the Wissahickon’s Super Saturday Volunteer Service Days in the Wissahickon Valley Park. We will be recruiting community partners and hundreds of volunteers to join us at 11 different large volunteer service events in the Park through 2020,” said Sarah Marley, Development & Outreach Director at Friends of the Wissahickon. “Together we will make a positive impact on the water quality of the Wissahickon Creek and the habitat of the Wissahickon Valley Park through trash and recycling cleanup, environmental educational programming, trail improvements, native plantings, and invasive species removal.”

To be eligible for the grant, projects had to be located in an American Water or subsidiary service area, such Philadelphia through the PEA partnership with American Water Resources. The American Water Charitable Foundation was established to support employees in their own charitable endeavors, provide stronger support for disaster relief efforts, and provide funding for higher-level initiatives related to clean water, conservation, education, and community sustainability. Grantees for this program were selected based on criteria including clarity of project goals and projected impact, innovation and strength of project, and evidence of community and volunteer engagement.

To learn more about PEA’s partnership with American Water Resources and about the Water and Sewer Line Protection Program, visit the program page.