2025 Source Water Protection Grants

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is accepting applications for its 2025 Source Water Protection Grants. Donor Name: Idaho Department of Environmental Quality State: Idaho County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/30/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: DEQ’s source water protection grants fund projects to protect public drinking water sources. Eligible activities include those that reduce the risk of contamination of a drinking water source. Projects must contribute to improved protection of one or more public water supply sources. Section 1452 of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act provides funds for source water assessment and protection. These funds are a potential source of support for drinking water protection projects in Idaho. Funding Information Up to $750,000 is available for project funding in state fiscal year 2025 (SFY2025). Maximum funding requested for a project should not exceed $24,000 for submitted project proposals. Project Eligibility  Projects associated with source water protection measures are eligible for funding. Source water is defined as “any aquifer, surface water body, or watercourse from which water is taken either periodically or continuously by a public water system for drinking or food processing purposes” (Idaho Source Water Assessment Plan 1999). Eligible activities include those that lead to reducing the risk of contamination of the drinking water source. Projects must contribute to improved protection of one or more public water supply sources. Projects will be expected to provide long-term benefits to source water quality. Projects with measures to reduce the threat of contaminants that could impact a specific drinking water source or regional drinking water supply are eligible for funding: Contaminant source identification (research) Contaminant pathway removal (closure of abandoned or unused wells) Contaminant removal (hazardous waste collection, pollution prevention, and waste reduction) Contaminant management (implement best management practices [BMPs] and structures to divert contaminated runoff from the source) Restoration and/or conservation of the ecological function of source water protection areas Education and information sharing (brochures, workshops, and media campaigns) Security measures to protect the source Grants can be used to implement security measures as long as the project protects the source area. Projects that protect the physical extraction structure (e.g., well, spring, or intake structures) are eligible for funding: Fencing around wells or springs. The fencing can include other buildings or tanks, as long as the fenced-in area is part of the source area. Gates for well and intake access roads and access control for those areas. Alarms, signs, cameras, locks, and lights for sources if they are clearly related to protecting the source water area. Grant funds are intended to target activities that go beyond normal operation and maintenance standards and existing system infrastructure deficiencies. Funds are available for projects that concentrate on protecting a specific community public water supply system or aquifer/watershed wide-protection effort. Eligible Applicants  Eligible applicants include the following: Idaho public water systems Local government units and subunits Special districts (e.g., water districts or conservation districts) Associations Nonprofit organizations Educational institutions Tribes For more information, visit IDEQ.