U.S. Department of the Interior: WaterSMART – Water and Energy Efficiency Grants

WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) provides support for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) priorities, including creating a legacy of conservation stewardship, sustainably developing energy and natural resources, modernizing infrastructure through public-private partnerships, striking a regulatory balance, and restoring trust with local communities by improving relationships and communication with states, tribes, local governments, communities, landowners, and water users.

Through Water and Energy Efficiency Grants, the DOI provides assistance to states, tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and other entities with water or power delivery authority to undertake projects that result in quantifiable and sustained water savings and support broader water reliability benefits. Grants provide funding for projects that result in quantifiable water savings and support broader water reliability benefits. These projects conserve and use water more efficiently; increase the production of hydropower; mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict; and accomplish other benefits that contribute to water supply reliability in the western United States.

Amount: Approximately $10,000,000 is available, dependent upon Funding Group:

• Funding Group I: Up to $300,000 will be available for smaller, on-the-ground projects. In general, projects funded under Funding Group I should be completed within two years of award.
• Funding Group II: Up to $1,500,000 will be available for larger, phased on-the-ground projects that may take up to three years to complete. Projects selected under Funding Group II will be funded on an annual basis, for a period of up to three years. Funding for the remaining project years will be made available contingent on subsequent congressional appropriations.

Eligibility: States, Indian tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, or other organizations with water or power delivery authority located in the Western United States or United States Territories as identified in the Reclamation Act.

Link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=319158

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