Grants For Green Projects Available Through California American Water’s 2013 Environmental Grant Program

California American Water announced today that applications are now being accepted for its 2013 Environmental Grant Program.

The company will award several grants for a combined total of $10,000 to innovative community-based environmental projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds and drinking water supplies within the state.

A wide variety of conservation projects are eligible for funding, such as watershed cleanups, educational programs, biodiversity projects, waterway restoration projects, wellhead protection initiatives and hazardous waste collection efforts.

“We are all environmental stewards in protecting California’s diverse watershed, and this program is one way we help communities play an active role in this important effort,” said Rob MacLean, president of California American Water. “I encourage municipalities, schools, environmental organizations and civic groups to apply for a grant to support projects that will benefit their local water ecosystem.”

To qualify, proposed projects must:

• Be located within one or more of California American Water's service areas;
• Address a source water or watershed protection need in the community;
• Be completed between May 1, 2013 and November 29, 2013;
• 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; and
• Provide evidence of sustainability (continued existence after the American Water grant monies are utilized).

Projects will be judged based on criteria that include clarity of project goals, projected impact, strength of collaboration with other community and/or municipal organizations and evidence that the project will provide sustainable environmental results after California American Water’s funding ends.

In 2012, the program supported the Ocean Foundation, which was awarded $5,000 to fund its Ocean Connectors Project to launch their innovative new watershed restoration effort in San Diego. The program’s goal was to inspire 1,000 low-income elementary students to take community action to protect watersheds and the environment. Students actively worked to restore and improve various sites, such as the Otay River Watershed, a degraded watershed in South San Diego County.

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