N.J. American Water launches reusable water bottle filling station grant program

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New Jersey American Water is accepting applications from communities that want to build reusable water bottle filling stations that would fill multi-use bottles with the company’s filtered tap water.

The public water utility has set aside $25,000 to build 12 stations in its service areas statewide, prioritizing communities of color, economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and towns with a history of water contamination.

These high-tech stations often use touch-free sensors, reducing the spread of germs.

The initiative partly aims to reduce single-use plastic waste, said Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water.

“Single-use plastics present a tremendous challenge to the environment, and we’ve all seen the pictures of rivers and oceans clogged up,” he said. “We frequently, when we’re cleaning out sewer systems as part of our operations, see a massive number of plastics out there.”

Last year, 100 billion plastic beverage containers were sold in the United States — much of which ended up in landfills and waterways, polluting the environment and endangering wildlife.

Studies also found plastic bottles shed microplastics that can impact a person’s health when ingested.

McDonough said New Jersey American Water hopes the refilling stations will boost peoples’ trust in tap water.

“Over time, because of incidents in places like Flint and Jackson, Mississippi, people have grown to distrust their tap water,” he said. “It’s really imperative that we get people back trusting that water — one, because it’s economically much cheaper to use tap water, and two, it offers a safe alternative to the challenge that is single-use plastics.”

Any size community can apply, but must be located within New Jersey American Water’s service areas. Grant recipients will be responsible for operating and maintaining the stations. The deadline for applications is Sept. 27.