New Jersey American Water will award $24,500 to three noteworthy organizations engaged in sustainability projects to improve water source protection. The recipients of New Jersey American Water’s 2016 Environmental Grant Program are:

Berkeley Heights Public Schools has been awarded $4,500 to build a rain garden at Columbia Middle School with the potential to catch nearly 6,000 gallons of water in a typical rain storm. The project will also educate citizens on building their own rain gardens.

The New Jersey Tree Foundation, Inc. will receive $10,000 to reforest schools in Plainfield. As much as 240 square feet of concrete will be replaced with approximately 30 trees, which will improve the sustainability of the Raritan Watershed. The foundation estimates that the trees could filter up to 23,650 gallons of storm water in the first year of the project.

Gibbsboro Community Garden Project has been granted $10,000 to create an organic, sustainable community garden at Pole Hill Park in the Borough of Gibbsboro. The garden will also serve as an education facility that will offer courses on chemical-free gardening to local residents, school groups and seniors.

A panel of judges from New Jersey American Water chose the following recipients based on criteria such as project goals, project impact, innovation, design, collaboration, sustainability, and community engagement among other requirements:

New Jersey American Water’s Environmental Grant Program provides funding to organizations engaged in activities that improve a community's water supply or improve, restore or protect watersheds, or promote water conservation. Such projects may include wildlife habitat improvement, storm water management, wellhead protection initiatives, watershed cleanups, rain garden projects, and water conservation or reforestation efforts. Now in its eighth year, New Jersey American Water’s Environmental Grant Program has now provided nearly $225,000 in grants to notable green projects.

New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.7 million people. American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. Marking its 130th anniversary this year, the company employs 6,700 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 by visiting www.amwater.com.