Water Quality Improvement Grant Program

DWRA’s Water Quality Improvement Grant Program (formerly the Wastewater Grant Program) provides funding to address wastewater (including septic to sewer), stormwater and agricultural sources of nutrients in waterbodies that are not attaining nutrient or nutrient-related standards, have an established total maximum daily load or are located within a basin management action plan area, a reasonable assurance plan area, an accepted alternative restoration plan area, or a rural area of opportunity under s. 288.0656.

How to Apply

Project proposals need to be submitted online on the Protecting Florida Together Water Protection Grants portal, which opens for new project proposals in July and stays open for approximately 60 days. If the project is not selected within the current state fiscal year, the proposal will need to be resubmitted the following year for evaluation.

• Sign up to receive email updates on the Protecting Florida Together Preference Center.

Eligibility Requirements

Financial assistance is available to Florida's governmental entities for projects that have an established total maximum daily load or are located within a basin management action plan area, a reasonable assurance plan area, an accepted alternative restoration plan area, or a rural area of opportunity under s. 288.0656, which will individually or collectively reduce excess nutrient pollution:

• To retrofit onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS) to upgrade such systems to enhanced nutrient-reducing onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems.
• To upgrade, expand or construct facilities to provide advanced wastewater treatment, as defined in section 403.086(4), F.S.
• To connect OSTDS to central sewer facilities.
• To address stormwater and agricultural sources of nutrients in waterbodies that are not attaining nutrient or nutrient-related standards.
• To repair, upgrade, expand or construct domestic wastewater treatment facilities that result in improvements to surface water or groundwater quality, including domestic wastewater reuse and collection systems.

Priority will be given to projects that:

• Have the maximum estimated reduction in nutrient load per project.
• Demonstrate project readiness.
• Are cost-effective.
• Have a cost-share identified by the applicant, except for rural areas of opportunity.
• Have previous state commitment and involvement in the project, considering previously funded phases, the total amount of previous state funding, and previous partial appropriations for the proposed project.
• Are in a location where reductions are needed most to attain the water quality standard of a waterbody not attaining nutrient or nutrient-related standards.

Contacts

Useful Websites

• DEP’s Protecting Florida Together Water Protection Grants online portal