Aquarius Spring! Awards Nine Mile Run Watershed Assn $50,000 Grant, Cleanup Events Set

Aquarius Spring! natural spring water is on a mission this summer to promote watershed conservation and encourage people to take action in their local communities. Next stop: Pittsburgh and a partnership with the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association, a non-profit organization devoted to the restoration and protection of the Nine Mile Run Watershed through citizen engagement, demonstration projects and advocacy.

The program includes two special community events and clean-up efforts in August. Volunteers are encouraged to participate in the clean-up events at a Stream Sweep on Saturday, August 1, and at Falls Ravine Shelter on Wednesday, August 5.

NMRWA representatives will educate attendees on small steps they can take to address and support watershed conversation. In addition, Aquarius Spring! will provide the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association with a $50,000 grant to support its clean water initiatives.

“The Aquarius Spring! summer mobile tour aims to motivate local residents to take an active role in water conservation in their communities,” said Brenda Smith, Executive Director, NMRWA. “Beyond the clean-up events, the partnership grant will help provide opportunities throughout the year for community involvement in creating a healthy watershed.”

The centerpiece of the 20-week Aquarius Spring! summer tour is a specially designed vegetable-oil powered bus that will invite local residents to participate in the watershed clean-up events taking place in each market.

“Aquarius Spring! was founded with a mission to hydrate, donate and participate,” said Brandon Leck, director of water brands, Coca-Cola North America. “In addition to our 10-market tour and donations to local watersheds, every Aquarius package and point of sale will direct consumers to www.EnjoyAquarius.com where they can learn more about water conservation efforts in their communities. Together we can make a lasting contribution to local watersheds through this call to action.”

The August 1 Stream Sweep Cleanup event will be held from 9 to Noon with volunteers meeting at Lower Frick Park Soccer Field. Volunteers are asked to use the Lancaster Avenue entrance.

The August 5 Falls Ravine Restoration Day will run from 8:30 to 1:00 with volunteers meeting a the Falls Ravine Shelter at the trail intersection in Fern Hollow.

For more event information, contact Lisa Brown, 412-371-8779 ext. 15.

The 6.5 square mile Nine Mile Run watershed includes the boroughs of Edgewood and Wilkinsburg, and parts of Swissvale and the City of Pittsburgh. Water from the Nine Mile Run Watershed flows into the Monongahela, the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico.

Professional staff and volunteers from the NMRWA work to provide environmental advocacy, citizen engagement and demonstration projects such as the Rain Barrel Initiative on behalf of the watershed.