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Carson-based West Basin Municipal Water District (WBMWD) is expanding its popular program to provide community members with access to safe, reliable drinking water via water bottle filling stations throughout its 17-city geographic footprint. The program encourages customers and visitors in the region to use personal, eco-friendly, refillable water bottles versus the use of single use, plastic water bottles.
WBMWD announced earlier this month that its Water Bottle Filling Station Grant Program will return for a third year with increased funding opportunities. Eligible public facilities can apply for a $1,000 grant to install indoor water bottle filling stations or public facilities can now apply for new funding for $2,000 grant for outdoor filling stations. Outdoor filling stations can cost more than indoor units.
“West Basin is pleased to not only renew this successful grant program, but also to provide additional funding for outdoor filling stations that usually cost more than indoor units,” said West Basin Board President Scott Houston. “The drinking water in our service area is high quality and we want to ensure our residents have access to it while doing our part to reduce unnecessary waste and protect the environment.”
Since WBMWD launched the Water Bottle Filling Station Grant Program in 2017, 21 water bottle filling stations have been installed throughout WBMWD’s service area. Approximately 110,000 single-use plastic water bottles have been replaced annually by the use of personal, refillable water containers. This has prevented the potentially harmful environmental impacts of single-use plastics — not to mention the trash empty, discarded single-use water bottles generate — while also providing access to free, high-quality water at local schools, community centers and parks.
Twelve community agencies were awarded grant funds in 2018-2019 to install filling stations in in West Basin’s service area. They include:
- California State University, Dominguez Hills
- City of Carson
- City of Culver City
- City of El Segundo
- City of Hawthorne
- City of Inglewood
- City of Lomita
- City of Redondo Beach
- City of Rolling Hills Estates
- El Segundo Unified School District
- Environmental Charter Middle School, Inglewood
- Lennox School District
Eligible grantees must be public facilities located in WBMWD’s service area and must meet all criteria specified in the application guidelines. Applications will be received and reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. A total of $35,000 in program funding is available for the fiscal year of July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.
Grant details and application forms are available at www.westbasin.org/fillingstations. For additional information regarding applications and/or application eligibility call West Basin Municipal Water District at: 310-217-2411.
