FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 18, 2025
Contact: Patrick Starr, Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (267) 479-6101
Aqua Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Environmental Council Award More than $55,000 in Local Grants to “Protect Your Drinking Water” in Southeast Pennsylvania
Philadelphia — The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) and Aqua Pennsylvania today announced more than $55,000 in grants for projects aimed at improving the health of local waterways. This marks the second round of funding through the “Protect Your Drinking Water” grant program.
“We are proud to join Aqua in supporting our partner organizations in Bucks, Chester, and Delaware counties who are working to protect source water through watershed education and stewardship projects,” said Tom Gilbert, President of PEC. “Clean water is essential to our health and economy, and these projects are great partnerships to highlight as we head into Earth Week.”
The Protect Your Drinking Water program awards grants for watershed protection and education projects that address invasive species, pollution, and other threats to water quality. In its inaugural year in 2025, the program awarded nearly $32,000 to four organizations in the Chester/Ridley/Crum Watersheds area. This year, the program expanded to include projects in the Neshaminy Creek and the East Branch of Brandywine Creek, benefiting Aqua customers throughout southeast Pennsylvania.
Grant Recipients Include:
· Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association ($9,924 for a volunteer adopt-a-buffer program)
· Heritage Conservancy ($10,000 for a pollinator meadow project)
· Neshaminy Watersheds Association ($5,583 for water quality monitoring)
· Pennsylvania Resources Council ($10,000 for a Stream Smart residential stormwater management education and project promotion)
· Stroud Water Research Center ($10,000 for a watershed health education program)
· Willistown Conservation Trust ($10,000 for Save Our Streams report education and outreach)
Protect Your Drinking Water grants support a variety of environmental and infrastructure projects. Outcomes can include on-the-ground projects, as well as educational and volunteer programs designed for students, municipal staff, and citizens. PEC’s Water Team administers the grant program in partnership with Aqua, an Essential Utilities company, with funding from the company’s Essential Foundation.
“We are excited to be able to expand the Protect Your Drinking Water grant program this year to engage more partners in our mission to protect and provide our customers with quality drinking water,” said Aqua Pennsylvania President Marc Lucca. “We are proud to partner with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council on this important program.”
PEC is also committed to empowering the public to be active, informed stewards. Educating people about where their drinking water comes from is an essential step toward improving the health and function of our local waterways.
About PEC
Founded in 1970, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC)’s mission is to protect and restore the natural and built environments through innovation, collaboration, education, and advocacy. We work closely with government, business, nonprofit, and community stakeholders to advance our shared goals in energy and climate policy, trail development and outdoor recreation, watershed protection and restoration, reforestation, and conservation-focused economic development. PEC is active throughout Commonwealth, with regional offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, State College, and Dallas, PA. Learn more at www.pecpa.org.
About Aqua Pennsylvania
Aqua Pennsylvania serves approximately 1.5 million people in 32 counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Visit AquaWater.com for more information or follow Aqua on Facebook at facebook.com/MyAquaWater and on X at @MyAquaWater.