Tampa Bay Water’s Source Water Protection Mini-grant Program awards grants to local organizations that share our environmental stewardship goals, help protect drinking water sources and engage the community in source water education. The program is available to non-profit groups, schools, teachers, universities and community organizations, and grants range from $2,000 to $10,000, for projects relating to source water protection in our service area.
For 2024, Tampa Bay Water will distribute $21,950 in grants to the Florida Aquarium, Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and the Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers.
The Florida Aquarium ($8,600) for the From Drops to Drink: Protecting Tampa Bay’s Drinking Water project. The Florida Aquarium will use grant funding to provide workshops to inform educators about various sources for our drinking water supply in the Tampa Bay area and the importance of protecting our watersheds. The project’s main goal is to provide outreach to the broader Tampa Bay community through educators and their students: approximately 40 teachers and 800 students annually.
Girl Scouts of West Central Florida ($8,350) for its Camp Indian Echo Source Water Protection and Education project. Girl Scouts of West Central Florida will use grant funding to teach girls ages 5-17 and adult volunteers the importance of clean drinking water and source water protection. Funding will be used to provide programming on source water protection and install three other features: a new aerator to improve the water quality of Daisy Lake, an educational hub where Girl Scouts will learn all about the water cycle with hands-on activities, and a water bottle filling station. Source water protection information will be permanently affixed to the educational hub and bottle filling station so future Girl Scouts and community groups at the camp can learn about the importance of clean drinking water.
Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers ($5,000) for its Hispanics for our Environment project. Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers will use grant funding to host two community clean-ups throughout the year where participants will paddle along a designated section of the Hillsborough River or Old Tampa Bay to collect and remove litter and debris. This hands-on activity improves water quality and serves as an educational experience to raise awareness about the importance of source water protection. The project aims to instill a sense of environmental responsibility and mobilize the Hispanic community to actively participate in the preservation of natural resources to create a better future for Tampa Bay area residents.
