The American Water Charitable Foundation (AWCF) has announced the recipients of its 2021 Building Better Communities grant program: The City of Imperial Beach, California and The City of Lexington, Kentucky
The grants, which total $500,000, will be used to create equitable community-focused, water-inspired play areas that feature modern, state-of-the-art splashpads to teach children and families the importance of water stewardship and conservation. This is the eighth year of the grant program, which is funded by the AWCF and administered by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).
American Water Charitable Foundation President, Carrie Williams said: “We are pleased to partner with the cities of Imperial Beach and Lexington to provide equitable and accessible water-based play spaces so children and families can learn, interact and appreciate water, an essential natural resource, in a fun and engaging way. Through our work, we have found that splash pads are a wonderful way to help provide water access for all, while supporting our conservation focus and engaging community members in environmental education.”
The City of Imperial Beach, a community that sits along the border between the United States and Mexico, has experienced a long history of severe pollution impacts from the Tijuana River, affecting beach water quality, and limiting access to water-based recreation. The city will use the $250,000 grant to construct an all-inclusive splashpad at Veteran’s Park, providing the community with a free and clean, family-friendly water play experience. Designed to accommodate people with mobility issues and other disabilities, the splash pad demonstrates the city’s commitment to water stewardship through a variety of sustainability elements, including a recirculation system to conserve water. In addition, the city will host a variety of educational workshops at the park that focus on water quality and environmental conservation.
The City of Lexington also will use their $250,000 grant to create an all-inclusive splash pad and water play experience. Located in historic Charles Young Park, an area located within a prominent African American community, the splash pad will predominantly serve people from the east end of the city who lack access to water- and nature-based play.
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