On July 17, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $2.1 million in funds to 37 organizations in 17 states and Puerto Rico to help protect and restore urban waters, improve water quality, support community revitalization, and other local priorities. The funding is through EPA’s Urban Waters program, which supports community efforts to access, improve, and benefit urban waters, which include canals, rivers, lakes, wetlands, aquifers, estuaries, bays, and oceans in urbanized areas. EPA is awarding grants ranging from $40,000 to $60,000 for projects taking place in areas that align with the 18 designated Urban Waters Federal Partnership locations. The Urban Waters Federal Partnership is made up of 13 federal agencies working to reconnect urban communities with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community-led revitalization efforts. All funded projects are designed to advance environmental justice in their communities and focus on one of the following three categories: community greening and green infrastructure, communities and water quality data, and integration of water quality and community development in planning. Read more.