“Funding provided through the Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program supports the completion of high impact community-focused projects that directly improve the quality of life for our customers and surrounding ecosystems,” said Carrie Williams, president of the American Water Charitable Foundation.  “We are proud to offer these types of funding opportunities to further American Water’s ongoing commitment to being a good neighbor and stewards of the environment.”

The American Water Charitable Foundation’s Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program provided grants to programs and projects that connected to one or more of American Water’s core focus areas of Water and the Environment, Water and Healthy Living, Environmental Education, and Community Sustainability.

Friends of the Wissahickon received $20,000 to support their community engagement program, Super Volunteer Service Days, that benefit Wissahickon Valley Park in northwest Philadelphia.

“The American Water Charitable Foundation Grant will help support Friends of the Wissahickon’s Super Saturday Volunteer Service Days in the Wissahickon Valley Park. We will be recruiting community partners and hundreds of volunteers to join us at 11 different large volunteer service events in the Park through 2020,” said Sarah Marley, Development & Outreach Director at Friends of the Wissahickon. “Together we will make a positive impact on the water quality of the Wissahickon Creek and the habitat of the Wissahickon Valley Park through trash and recycling cleanup, environmental educational programming, trail improvements, native plantings, and invasive species removal.”

To be eligible for the grant, projects had to be located in an American Water or subsidiary service area, such Philadelphia through the PEA partnership with American Water Resources. The American Water Charitable Foundation was established to support employees in their own charitable endeavors, provide stronger support for disaster relief efforts, and provide funding for higher-level initiatives related to clean water, conservation, education, and community sustainability. Grantees for this program were selected based on criteria including clarity of project goals and projected impact, innovation and strength of project, and evidence of community and volunteer engagement.

To learn more about PEA’s partnership with American Water Resources and about the Water and Sewer Line Protection Program, visit the program page.

The post Friends of the Wissahickon Receives “Keep Communities Flowing” Grant from American Water Charitable Foundation first appeared on Philadelphia Energy Authority.

Over 40 exhibitors present their products, service & resources on housing, healthcare, education, finance, social & legal services, etc. Activities includes fire truck exhibit, health & dental screening, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, kids corner, etc.

The Philadelphia Energy Authority will be at the event as exhibitor, telling attendee about Solarize Philly and the Water & Sewer Line Protection Program.

The post Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation’s (PCDC’s) EXPO 2019 first appeared on Philadelphia Energy Authority.

The program, a partnership between AWR and the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA), an independent creation of City Council, has enrolled more than 57,000 homeowners across the city, allowing them to purchase optional low-cost protection plans for the service lines that extend from city water and sewer mains to the home. The maintenance and repairs of these service lines are the responsibility of the homeowner and are not covered by most homeowners insurance.

Standing alongside homeowners, city officials encouraged Philadelphia residents to take the proactive step of protecting their water and sewer lines to stave off unexpected and unaffordable repair costs. 

“I am a huge proponent of the American Water Resources water and sewer line protection program. Thousands of 4th District homeowners have taken advantage of the program and will be covered if the unexpected occurs to the lines that serve their home,” Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr., said. “I am thankful to the Philadelphia Energy Authority for coordinating the program. It has been a great success.”

“As many people are aware, Philadelphia is the poorest large city in the nation. With 26 percent of our population living in poverty, the unfortunate reality is that most residents do not have an emergency reserve for basic, fundamental life expenses like mortgage and utility payments – let alone a fund for unexpected costly home repairs,” Councilmember Derek Green (At-Large) said. “The fact that this program, which creates a safety net for homeowners in the event of a broken sewer or water line, now exists is tremendous. I applaud American Water Resources and the Philadelphia Energy Authority on this partnership, for the early success of this program and for their continued efforts to educate our citizens about the benefits.”
 
AWR’s programs and partnership with the PEA are facilitated in cooperation with the Philadelphia Water, Streets, and Licenses and Inspections (L+I) departments. The water and sewer line programs are available at the low monthly price of $7.98 a month with unlimited protection for covered repairs for both programs. Enrollment in the program comes with 24-hour support, a one-year warranty on covered repairs, and all work performed by an independent local insured contractor provided by AWR.

Philadelphia homeowner Geraldine Robinson said the AWR-PEA partnership helped her parents save thousands of dollars for line repairs, and encouraged all Philadelphia homeowners to take this proactive step toward financial security.

“Both my parents and I are customers of American Water Resources, and as caretaker to my parents I recently helped them file a claim at their home in North Philadelphia when they needed their water line repaired. This repair would have cost thousands of dollars and been a huge burden on our family,” Robinson said. “American Water Resources lifted this burden by doing what they said they would do: fixing the water line and restoring the street and sidewalk at no additional cost. The city needs more programs like this to keep homeownership affordable for all.”
 
“In Philadelphia, homeowners are responsible for maintaining their water service lines and sewer laterals, which can be costly. The Water Department offers a HELP loan program to customers with exterior home plumbing issues, but our customers have expressed the desire for a proactive protection program that is affordable and that provides peace of mind when a problem occurs,” Acting Water Commissioner Sarah Stevenson said. “We are happy to partner with the Philadelphia Energy Authority and American Water Resources on this protection program because it helps to ease the burden on homeowners and allows them to maintain and keep their home plumbing systems in good repair.”

“The response from Philadelphia homeowners has been remarkable. This program is clearly needed in Philadelphia, where everyone knows someone who has had to pay thousands of dollars to repair a failed water or sewer line,”PEA Executive Director Emily Schapira said. “We are proud to offer this low-cost option for homeowners and contribute to energy savings for PWD at the same time.”
 
“We are thrilled to be able to provide this important service – and the peace of mind that comes with avoiding unexpected service line repairs – to homeowners across Philadelphia,” AWR President Eric Palm added. “In the first six months of our partnership, customers have experienced the value in a service line protection program that goes beyond the limits of standard homeowners’ insurance policies.  We will continue to expand our relationships in the community and educate homeowners on how they can protect against expensive home repair costs in the event an issue arises.”

Authorized by Council to further clean and affordable energy goals, PEA administers the $1 billion Philadelphia Energy Campaign to advance energy efficiency in buildings across the City, collect significant cost savings for property owners and taxpayers, help Philadelphia achieve its sustainability goals, and create 10,000 jobs over 10 years.

The post Water and Sewer Line Protection Program Saves Philadelphia Homeowners $1 Million in First Six Months first appeared on Philadelphia Energy Authority.

Join the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA) and American Water Resources (AWR) for an exciting announcement about the Water and Sewer Line Protection Program’s progress. We will gather at the home of a resident who saved over $5,000 on a sewer line repair using the new optional Water and Sewer Line Protection Program offered to Philadelphia homeowners.

For more info about the program: www.awrusa.com/Philadelphia

The post Water & Sewer Line Press Conference first appeared on Philadelphia Energy Authority.

Please join us at the Holmesburg Civic Association general meeting for a presentation about the Water and Sewer Line Protection Program for Philadelphia homeowners. A representative will be present answering any questions you may have about the program brought to you by Philadelphia Energy Authority & American Water Resources (AWR).

The post Water & Sewer Line Protection Program Info Session – Holmesburg Civic Association  first appeared on Philadelphia Energy Authority.

Please join us at the Winchester Park Homeowners Association general meeting for a presentation about the Water and Sewer Line Protection Program for Philadelphia homeowners. A representative will be present answering any questions you may have about the program brought to you by Philadelphia Energy Authority & American Water Resources (AWR).

The post Water & Sewer Line Protection Program Info Session – Winchester Park Homeowners Association first appeared on Philadelphia Energy Authority.