Drinking Water Supply & Quality

States, Native American Tribes, water districts, and other public agencies with water management authority.

Projects that help communities prepare for and respond to drought, such as modifying surface water intakes, new conveyance system components, additional water storage, aquifer storage and recovery, and capture and treatment of alternative supplies.

Applications are accepted on an annual basis. The most recent application period closed on June 15, 2022.

An estimated $16.6 million is available in the current funding opportunity, with a maximum award of $2 million.

In FY 22, among all SMART grants, 59 were awarded out of 383 received, for a 15% award rate. In FY 23 36 projects were selected.

Nonprofits.

Projects that address water quality, land-sea connection, or protection of special places.

The application window for Cycle 2 closed on August 31, 2022. Awards are expected no later than October 31, 2022.

A total of $50,000 is availble in the current funding cycle.

2 out of 36 applications were awarded funding in cycle 1 in 2020.

Irrigation and water districts, Native American tribes, states, and other entities with water or power delivery authority for small water efficiency improvements.

Installation of flow measurement or automation in a specific part of a water delivery system, lining of a section of a canal to address seepage or other similar projects that are limited in scope.

The most recent application cycle closed on April 28, 2022.

$5 million is available for the most recent funding round, with a maximum award amount of $100,000 per project (2022). The program requires that the applicant/implementing agency pay for 50% of the project costs.

14 out of 52 awarded projects were from the State of California (2019).

Irrigation and water districts, Native American tribes, states, and other entities with water or power delivery authority for small water efficiency improvements.

Projects which conserve and use water more efficiently and contribute to water supply reliability.

Applications are accepted on an annual basis. Applications for FY 2023 are currently being accepted with a deadline of July 28, 2022, by 4:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.

Maximum award of $5 million.

Irrigation and water districts, Native American tribes, states, and other entities with water or power delivery authority for small water efficiency improvements.

Projects which conserve and use water more efficiently and contribute to water supply reliability.

Applications are accepted on an annual basis. Applications for FY 2023 are currently being accepted with a deadline of July 28, 2022, by 4:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.

Maximum award of $5 million.

11 out of 51 awarded projects were from the State of California (2020).

Small and rural jurisdictions (city, county, or town), with a population size that is insufficient in order to participate in the HUD’s direct entitlement program.

Projects that develop viable communities by providing decent affordable housing, a suitable living environment, and expanding economic opportunities, low- and moderate-income people, and neighborhoods.

The most recent application window closed on August 19, 2022.

$30 million is available in the most recent funding cycle.

Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis and are not competitively scored. 47 proposals were awarded in 2021.

Nonprofits and Federally-recognized Native American tribes.

Projects which promote environmental justice, public health, sustainability, and climate resilience in areas disproportionately affected by environmental pollution and hazards.

The most recent application window closed in August 2021.

$1.17 million was awarded in 2020. The maximum grant award for the 2021-2022 funding cycle is $50,000.

28 projects were awarded in 2020.

A nonprofit or for-profit Developer of a Qualifying Infill Project; a city, county, city and county, public housing authority, or redevelopment agency and/or successor agencies that have jurisdiction over a Qualifying Infill Area applying jointly with an “owners’ association,”; the governing body of an Indian reservation or rancheria that has jurisdiction over a Qualifying Infill Area or a Tribally Designated Housing Entity that is the Developer of a Qualifying Infill Project.

Construction of new infill development and rehabilitation of infrastructure that supports higher-density affordable and mixed-income housing including but not limited to active transportation, parks and open space, stormwater, street repair, transit, and water-related improvements.

The application deadline for Small jurisdictions (QIAs and QIPs) has been extended from September 22, 2022, to October 20, 2022, by 4:00 pm. Awards announcements will be made on an ongoing basis.

$200 million are available for Round 8 (2022).

For Qualifying Infill Projects, the minimum grant award is $1 million ($500,000 for rural areas) with a maximum of $7.5 million. For Qualifying Infill Areas with over 200 units, the minimum grant award is $2 million ($1 million for rural areas) with a maximum of $30 million.

35 out of 99 proposals funded in Round 7 (FY 2020/2021).

Public agencies, nonprofits, federally recognized Native American Tribes, state agencies, public colleges, federal agencies.

Implementation proposals for impaired waters, or projects that implement practices to improve impaired waters. As funding is available, the program may fund planning proposals, proposals for post-fire recovery, and proposals for protection of high-quality waters.

The application window for the most recent funding cycle (2023) closed on December 19, 2022.

$4.5 million is available in the current funding cycle (2023), with $3 million available for Impaired Waters projects, $400,000 for High-Quality Waters, $800,000 for Post-Fire Recovery, and $800,000 for Planning proposals. For more information on the allocations, review page 4 of the 2023 program guidelines.

11 proposals were accepted in 2021.

Nonprofits, public agencies and tribal governments.

Projects and programs throughout the state including climate change adaptation, providing incentives for collaboration and setting priorities in water resource and infrastructure management, and improving regional water self-reliance.

Applications for Round 2 will be accepted in two separate windows. The first application window closed on August 2022. Applications for the second window are due February 1, 2023.

$193 million is available in Round 2. For more information on regional allocations, see the table “Available Funds” on the IRWM Implementation Grant Program

Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) (critically overdrafted basins only).

Funding to update/revise GSPs and other entities to update/revise their approved Alternatives to a GSP. The funding will also be used towards implementing the GSP or Alternative Plan.

The funding cycle for Round 1 closed on February 18, 2022. This round is for Critically Overdrafted Basins only. Round 2 solicitation is expected to open in Fall 2022.

Over $150 million is available in Round 1 (to be distributed by Spring 2022) to representatives of COD basins for planning and implementation projects to help comply with SGMA. Over $200 million will be available in Round 2.

Local public entities, California Native American tribes, and community-based organizations.

Staff training related to climate resiliency, community education, and workforce development; updating, integrating, aligning, or preparing planning documents to address climate risk; conducting climate vulnerability or risk assessments.

Round 1 applications were due August 29, 2023.

A total of $12.5 million was available for Round 1, with awards ranging between $150,000 and $650,000.

Local public entities, California Native American tribes, and community-based organizations.

Capacity-building, implementation of state, regional, or local adaptation strategies or planning documents that address climate risk, and other implementing projects that address various climate risks (e.g., drought, extreme heat events, flood, increasing temperatures, sea level rise, and wildfire).

Round 1 applications were due on August 29. 2023 by 5:00pm PST.

A total of $8.8 million was available in Round 1, with awards ranging between $800,000 and $3 million.

Public agencies, tribes, public utilities, mutual water companies, and nonprofits.

Applications will be accepted for implementation projects only, which prevent and clean up contamination of groundwater that serves (or has served) as a source of drinking water.

The Concept Proposal period closed in September 2021.

$70 million remaining for Round 3, including $20 million for DACs and $50 million for non-DACs.

6 planning projects were approved and 7 implementation progects were approved for Round 2.

Nonprofits, public agencies, and Native American Tribal governments.

Water quality, river, and watershed protection and restoration projects of statewide importance outside of the Delta.

The most recent application window closed on March 4, 2022.

The available funding for the current cycle is $24 million.

19 project proposals were awarded in 2021.

Public agencies, nonprofits, public utilities, mutual water companies, groundwater sustainability agencies, Federally-recognized California Native American tribes, certain non-federally recognized Native American tribes.

Grants, loans, contracts, or services to help water systems provide safe and affordable drinking water. Operation and maintenance costs, consolidating water systems, extending drinking water services to other public water systems, wells, and state small water systems, replacement of water, services that support long-term self-sufficiency, and sustainability of long-term drinking water solutions.

It is anticipated that funding will be available sometime in 2020 or 2021. The funding expenditure plan was adopted in the Summer of 2020.

$130 million annually, beginning in FY 2020/2021 until 2030.

Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs)

Projects that address drought and groundwater challenges to achieve regional sustainability for investments in groundwater recharge projects with surface water, stormwater, recycled water, and other conjunctive use projects; prevent or clean up contamination of groundwater that serves as a source of drinking water; support water supply reliability, water conservation, and water use efficiency; and support water banking, exchange, and reclamation.

The applications for round 1 closed in January 2021. The next call for application is expected Spring 2022.

The total estimated funding available for round 2 is $77 million.

6 projects were funded in FY (2020/2021).

Special districts, nonprofit groups, local governments, federally recognized California Native American tribes, non-federally recognized California Native American tribes, and Groundwater Sustainability Agencies

This program funds watershed coordinator positions to facilitate watershed and groundwater improvement efforts in areas of the state most immediately impacted by the implementation of SGMA.

The most recent application period closed on September 15, 2020.

$1.5 million available (2020). The maximum limit for each grant proposal is $300,000.

Five projects were awarded in 2020.

Local and state governments, private and public institutions of higher education, nonprofits, special districts, federally-recognized Native American Tribal governments.

Cost-shared financial assistance for projects to develop hydrologic information and water management tools and improve modeling and forecasting capabilities.

The most recent application window closed April 21, 2021.

$1.5 million is available for the most recent funding round, with a maximum award amount of $200,000 per project (2021).

Native American Tribes, local and special districts (e.g., irrigation and water districts, etc.), local government entities, interstate organizations, and nonprofits.

Projects that improve use of technology to increase water reliability and address the water management needs for stakeholders.

The most recent application window closed on January 19, 2021.

$2 million, with a maximum award amount of $100,000.

States, Native American Tribes, Irrigation Districts, Water Districts, and State, regional, or local authorities.

Water conservation and efficiency projects, water management or infrastructure improvements to mitigate drought-related impacts to ecological values, and watershed management or restoration projects.

Applications are accepted on an annual basis. The most recent application period closed in December 2021.

A maximum award of $2 million.