The Water Insecurity Correction Coalition, or WICC, was the recipient of three area grant awards for its Upstate Water Contamination Project (UWCP). UWCP is a two-pronged project designed to meaningfully respond to emerging water crises in Upstate New York: road salt contamination in the Adirondacks and the town of Poestenkill's PFAS-laden water supply.
The Common Roots Foundation granted over $2,000 for WICC to procure chlorine and sodium testing supplies for Adirondack residents. Survey data collected by the project will identify households that should test their drinking water supplies for contamination from de-icing salt applied to their roads in the winter. Grant funds will also be used to convene residents for an educational town hall about the threat of road salt contamination to drinking water safety and to complete surveying efforts in the Adirondacks.
“We are so grateful for the generous support we have received from the Common Roots Foundation,” commented Annabel Gregg, WICC Founder & UWCP Project Lead. “CRF has shown their true commitment to making a difference for Upstate New Yorkers. We feel so honored to be included in this grant cycle’s cohort of changemakers.”
In the Adirondacks, Freshwater Future also granted funds to test for road salt in drinking water wells and to conduct a large-scale water sampling effort of freshwater bodies in the Adirondacks. As an official partner of Salt Watch, WICC will assemble and disseminate a team of youth volunteers at local schools to complete road salt waterway monitoring in Adirondack Park. Freshwater Future also awarded WICC two grants for each region of UWCP’s work. In Poestenkill – a small town near Albany that is grappling with PFAS contamination of drinking water supplies – Freshwater Future’s support will alleviate the burden caused by water bills and allow WICC to keep residents informed about the solutions to their town’s PFAS problem.
“Freshwater Future does such amazing work in the Great Lakes region, and we are so excited to be joining their coalition as a member,” said Gregg. “We could not be more grateful to be the recipient of their Special Opportunity Grant for New York Drinking Water Advocacy. We hope these grants kick off a meaningful partnership between our organizations.”
Water Insecurity Correction Coalition, Inc. is a youth-led nonprofit organization based in New York focused on eradicating water insecurity in all forms nationwide. WICC’s Upstate Water Contamination Project is an advocacy and citizen science program focused on emerging water crises in Upstate New York, specifically road salt contamination in the Adirondacks and Poestenkill’s PFAS contamination.