New Jersey American Water expands 2026 grants program for local water stewardship

Community grants programme expands local water stewardship in New Jersey

New Jersey American Water is launching the 2026 American Water Charitable Foundation Water and Environment Grant Program, inviting community partners to apply for funding that advances clean water, conservation, environmental education, climate resilience and water-based recreation. The Foundation is accepting applications through March 6, 2026, and it asks applicants to demonstrate measurable outcomes, community partnerships and clear public benefit. Awards vary by project scale and prioritise initiatives in communities served by American Water.

The programme builds on the Foundation’s 2025 activity, when it awards a combined $1.7 million in Water and Environment grants to 80 organisations across 12 states, including nine New Jersey grantees: Clean Ocean Action, Great Swamp Watershed Association, Monmouth Conservation Foundation, Musconetcong Watershed Association, New Jersey Audubon, New Jersey Tree Foundation, Pinelands Preservation Alliance, The Somerset County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey, and The Watershed Institute. Musconetcong Watershed Association’s Director of Watershed Science and Stewardship, Christa Reeves, credits Foundation support with expanded PFAS monitoring, improved public outreach and the timely provision of science-based information to local communities.

Mark McDonough, President of New Jersey American Water and a Foundation trustee, frames the grant programme as a vehicle for educating future stewards, protecting natural resources and enhancing quality of life in service areas. The American Water Charitable Foundation organises its giving around three pillars — Water, People and Communities — and it reports investing more than $25 million since 2012 through grants and matching gifts to benefit communities where American Water and its employees live and work. The Foundation emphasises long-term stewardship, resilience and equitable access to safe, clean water in its funding priorities.

Scale and operations context

American Water is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the United States, serving more than 14 million people across regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. The company, founded in 1886 and operating under the tagline “We Keep Life Flowing®,” frames philanthropic work as complementary to its infrastructure and service commitments.

Earnings disclosure timing

Separately, American Water issues its fourth-quarter results on Feb. 18, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern, a scheduled disclosure that stakeholders use to review operational performance, rate-case developments and capital spending plans; detailed financial figures and commentary are available through the company’s investor materials and regulatory filings.