Facility Planning Grants

The Facility Planning Grants are designed to assist eligible wastewater and drinking water systems in Idaho by providing financial support for developing facility plans. These grants cover up to 50% of eligible planning costs, with maximum amounts historically set at $45,000 for drinking water and $65,000 for wastewater projects. Interested systems must submit a letter of interest annually between October and January to be considered for funding.

NOTE: 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. The highest-rated projects are invited to submit a planning grant application. Contact your DEQ regional office if interested in applying for a planning grant. Most systems find it in their best interest to have a consulting engineer assist them with completing the Letter of Interest.
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.
Criteria
Rating criteria focus on potential public health and environmental risks, the extent to which the planning process will address the long-term viability of the system (i.e., sustainability), and the status of the system’s compliance with state and federal regulations.

Eligibility

Eligible ApplicantsWastewaterPlanning 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 WaterPlanning 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 SystemA 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 SystemA 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).Systems selected to receive grants must hire a professional engineer to survey the system’s existing condition, develop and screen alternatives, recommend an alternative, and evaluate the potential environmental impacts.

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).