Drinking Water and Wastewater Funding (ID) Grant

The Drinking Water and Wastewater Funding program in Idaho provides financial assistance to eligible systems for planning grants. These funds support the development of facility plans to ensure compliance with state and federal standards. Eligible applicants include counties, cities, and nonprofit corporations for wastewater, and public water systems for drinking water. The number of grants is limited by available funding, with grants covering up to 50% of eligible costs, historically maxing at $45,000 for drinking water and $65,000 for wastewater.

NOTE:
Letter of Inquiry - We contact eligible systems to apply for planning grants annually. Interested systems must submit a letter of interest (LOI) for the following fiscal year between October and January. DEQ evaluates, rates, and ranks the LOIs for inclusion on the next annual priority list. Full Proposal - Invite Only - The highest-rated projects are invited to submit a planning grant application. The number of grants offered each year is limited to available funding.
Public Water System Planning Grants (ID)
Our planning grant program provides financial assistance to eligible wastewater and drinking water systems. These grant funds are typically used to develop facility plans to identify the most cost-effective, environmentally sound method of upgrading and expanding a system to achieve and maintain compliance with state and federal standards.
The number of grants each year is limited to the available funding and funds committed to the highest-ranked projects. Grants provide funding for up to 50% of eligible planning costs following IDAPA 58.01.22.030.02. Funding is typically subject to a maximum amount. For example, the maximum DEQ match amount for drinking water and wastewater planning grants has historically been $45,000 and $65,000, respectively. The remaining cost is the recipient’s responsibility.

Eligibility

Wastewater:Planning grants are available for counties, cities, special service districts, other governmental entities, and nonprofit corporations with the authority to collect, treat, or dispose of wastewater or otherwise provide direct water quality benefits.Drinking Water: Planning grants are available to public water systems as defined by IDAPA 58.01.08, Idaho Rules for Public Drinking Water Systems and summarized below: Community Water System: A public water system that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents.
Non-community Water System: A public water system that serves the public but does not serve the same people year-round. A non-community water system is either transient or non-transient.
Transient:Does not regularly serve at least 25 of the same people for more than six months per year (e.g., rest area or campground with its water supply).
Non-Transient:Regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months per year (e.g., a school or hospital with its water supply).

Ineligibility

Systems ineligible for planning grants generally include wastewater systems that are privately owned, non-community drinking water systems that are for profit, systems that lack the financial capability to pay for the non-grant share of a planning project, or those that are delinquent in payment of fines or fee assessments due to DEQ (IDAPA 58.01.12.009 and IDAPA 58.01.22.007).