Camden, N.J. – September 25, 2026 -- New Jersey American Water has channeled more than $179,000 in grants to 10 state organizations this year to fund watershed protection and PFAS research ahead of AWWA's Source Water Protection Week, running Sept. 27-Oct. 3.
Grant funding targets PFAS tracking and habitat restoration
The funding, distributed through the American Water Charitable Foundation's Water and Environment Grant Program, includes a $35,000 award to The Watershed Institute for stewardship and education programs and a $15,000 grant to the Raritan Headwaters Association to study PFAS movement through the Raritan River watershed. Additional recipients include Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space, Great Swamp Watershed Association and Camden's Charter School Network, funding habitat restoration, water quality monitoring and environmental education initiatives.
Multi-agency group responds to Millstone River algal bloom
New Jersey American Water is participating in a multi-agency Harmful Algal Bloom Discussion Group formed after a significant bloom event in the Millstone River. The group unites water utilities, regulators, researchers, wastewater agencies and watershed partners to share monitoring data, satellite imagery and response protocols across the Raritan Basin.
Utility frames source protection as risk-prevention strategy
"The watersheds and aquifers that provide our drinking water are among New Jersey's most valuable natural resources," said Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water. Sean Quinn, senior program manager of Source Water Protection for the utility, said protecting source water requires understanding risks across an entire watershed and building partnerships before water quality problems occur.
The utility, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), serves approximately 3 million people in New Jersey. Its efforts align with a companywide framework detailed in American Water's report "Leading Upstream: How Private, Regulated Water Utilities Are Protecting Drinking Water at Its Source," which outlines advanced monitoring technologies and data-driven watershed assessments used to identify risks before they reach treatment plants.
As part of the awareness campaign, the utility is urging residents and businesses to reduce chemical overuse, dispose of pharmaceuticals through collection programs rather than flushing them, and use hazardous waste sites for items such as paint, motor oil and batteries.