Portland Water District announces 2023 recipients of water bottle filling fountain grants.

We are thrilled to announce the winners of our 2023 water bottle-filling fountain grants! Congratulations to Cape Elizabeth Recycling Committee, Breakwater Learning, Cape Elizabeth Schools (Middle School), MMC Preble Street Learning Collaborative, The Episcopal Church of Saint Mary, The Point Community Center, Town of Standish, and Maine Audubon. The purpose of the program is to increase access to public tap water, and since its inception, we have helped to install a total of 43 units. We are proud to support these organizations in their efforts to provide more accessible and sustainable water options for their communities. For more information or to apply, please visit our website: https://www.pwd.org/water-bottle-filling-station-grants

Pictured: a 2022 grant recipient, MaineHealth, MMC Food Pantry. This is what they had to say about the program.The water bottle-filling fountain at the MaineHealth food pantry at Maine Medical Center (MMC Food Pantry) has been an extreme asset to our program and community. We share food with an average of 500 households each week, many of whom are living under circumstances of temporary, transitional, or no housing. Most are families with children, and many of the younger children come shopping at the pantry with their parents. For kids, the sensor is truly some magic! Providing access to free, safe drinking water to community members is crucial to the health and wellness of our community. In addition, during the hot summer months, the fountain allowed us to keep an insulated jug of cold water outside for folks who arrive up to 2 hours early to wait in line before we open. Now in the cold winter months, we can provide hot tea for those same patrons (also the preferred beverage of many of our volunteers, like Yannick pictured here). We’ve shared the equivalent of over 1,200 bottles of drinking water with our community thanks to your support!