Safe Drinking Water for Private Well Users Grant
Clean Water Fund

Applicants must be a local, regional, or tribal unit of government working in at least one of the eligible jurisdictions.

For Phase I grants all areas of the state are eligible.

For Phase II grants applicants must have received a Phase I grant previously to be eligible. This includes Olmsted Soil and Water Conservation District and Horizon Public Health.

Proposals must include all of the following elements:

• Conduct outreach to diverse groups of private well users about private well testing.
• Provide low- or no-cost private well testing for five common contaminants within a defined area.
• Establish a process for collecting water quality testing data including the corresponding well ID number or location if available.
• Provide financial assistance and technical assistance to eligible households* on private wells to address an arsenic, coliform bacteria, lead, manganese, and/or nitrate water quality issue. Technical assistance will be provided to private well owners with the information necessary to make decisions on treatment methods.

* Financial assistance to address a contaminant issue is limited to eligible households. Eligible households must meet the following criteria:

1. The household’s main source of drinking water in their primary residence is from private well water, AND
2. The well water has at least one contaminant concentration over the EPA Maximum Concentration Level that is not currently being mitigated by a treatment system:
   1. Nitrate at or above 10 milligrams per liter.
   2. Arsenic at or above 2 micrograms per liter with a priority of wells above 10.
   3. Any detection of coliform bacteria.
   4. Any detection of lead.
   5. Manganese at or above 100 micrograms per liter, AND the household meets income/financial assistance criteria defined by the grantee.

Allowable Expenses Include (but are not limited to):

• Staff costs to plan and implement the program.
• Laboratory costs associated with private well water analysis for all five contaminants, including shipping costs - Must use a laboratory accredited by the MDH Environmental Accreditation Program.
• Expenses to fully or partially cover (up to the grantee’s discretion).
  • Costs associated with purchasing and installing treatment for eligible private well users to address the contaminant(s) found to be over the maximum contaminant level.
  • Costs associated with repairing a well to address nitrate and/or coliform bacteria concentration over the maximum contaminant level.
  • Costs associated with constructing a new well to address nitrate and/or coliform bacteria concentration over the maximum contaminant level.
• Reimbursement of in-state travel expenses (mileage).
• Program promotion.

Ineligible Expenses

• Out-of-state travel.
• Fundraising.
• Taxes, except sales tax on goods and services.
• Lobbyists, political contributions.
• Bad debts, late payment fees, finance charges or contingency funds.

• Safe Drinking Water for Private Well Users Grant Phase I (PDF) 
• Safe Drinking Water for Private Well Users Grant Phase II (PDF)

Application Deadline: February 16, 2024

Application Instructions

Applications must be submitted via email to:

Anne Nelson
Partner Engagement and Communications Specialist
Water Policy Center, Environmental Health Division 
Minnesota Department of Health
anne.nelson@state.mn.us

You must submit the following content in order for the application to be considered complete:

• Application with Project Narrative and Work Plan. 
• Budget.
• Applicant Conflict of Disclosure form .
• Due Diligence Review Form. 

Incomplete applications will be rejected and not evaluated.

There are no match requirements.

The estimated grant start date is July 1, 2024, and the end date is May 1, 2027.

Collaboration

This grant prioritizes collaborative efforts. Soil and water conservation districts, environmental services, public health, water testing laboratories, medical professionals, schools, and other organizations can all help protect private well users’ health.

Infants and Children and Low-Income Households

This grant prioritizes efforts that target households with infants and children and low-income households.

Health Equity

This grant prioritizes proposals that engage diverse groups of private well users. Diverse groups include:

• Racial and ethnic communities, including American Indians
• People for whom English is not their first language
• LGBTQI communities
• Disability status
• Veterans
• Home ownership vs. rental status
• Socio-economic status
• Diversity of ages

All questions regarding this grant must be submitted by email to Anne Nelson at anne.nelson@state.mn.us. All answers will be posted within one week on this section of the webpage.

Submit questions no later than 4:30 p.m., Central Time, on February 9, 2024.

1. Are organizations eligible to apply for grant if currently have a MDH Groundwater Protection Initiative, Accelerated Implementation Grant?
Yes

2. Do proposed program processes and criteria (e.g., income/financial assistance criteria) need to be defined at the time of the RFP? Or can this be developed once awarded?
For the income/financial assistance category it would be helpful to have them defined in the application. We can change things as the grant goes on if you’re having issues, but we would like most of the details nailed down in the application so if you are awarded you can start right away. There isn’t a correct answer to the criteria. We would just like folks to find something that works for them and see how it goes. We are interested in learning from these grants so in the future we may implement a program statewide.

3. Can we work on other contaminants than the top 5? For example, radium? 
No

4. Can a county be listed as a partner on multiple grant applications. For example, Olmsted leads a Phase II grant and is also listed on a Phase I grant but not the lead. 
Yes

5. Can we choose to not test for bacteria because of the hold times?
No, we would like you to test for all 5 contaminants. We know the hold times for bacteria are a concern, if you and private well users are unable to get samples to an accredited lab within the hold time for bacteria we would like to know that information for future projects.

6. Specifically for lead do we have a choice in mitigation options? 
Yes, our MDH technical adviser will work with you to discuss treatment options for contaminants over the Maximum Contaminant Limit to find the best option provided the funding limits of the grant.

7. Are campground and mobile home parks eligible?
These systems are not eligible for this grant. They are classified differently than private wells and as such have different regulations from the state.

8. Can a grantee work with private well users to test with the intention of hooking them up to a public water system?
While hooking folks up to city water is not the intention of our grant this would count as an eligible treatment activity. Please review the evaluation criteria in the RFP and describe how these activities would benefit diverse and underserved populations.

9. Does the grantee need to complete the water sample or can the private well user complete and drop off the sample to the lab? 
Either is fine. You as the grantee are welcome to make it required that you collect the sample or you’re welcome to leave it open for private well users to collect themselves, just stressing that they follow the directions for sample collection.

10. What is the plan for data collected from this grant?
Currently we will just be housing the data internally and using it to make decision on where to focus outreach and education. Currently, we do not plan to post it online.

11. Are we able to use funds to help with well sealing?
  While it is important to seal old wells those are costs are not eligible at this time. We encourage you to consider other funding opportunities for well sealing activities.

12. Are we required to provide testing for all five contaminants if a well owner has tested for some *but not all *of them in recent history?
We are requiring folks to test for all five at the time of testing with this grant.

13. Is there a breakdown or requirement for % of grant money used for what purpose?
No, there is no specific breakdown for differences in treatment funding, testing, or administrative costs.

14. Should we make a contract with the lab or with the private well user for those results? or either?
It is up to you how you would like to structure the contract and get the water testing results. Whether that is contracting with the lab or having the private well users sign a release. Whatever works best for you.

15. How are grant funds distributed? 
You will have access to all requested money ($100,000) at the beginning of the grant and must spend it before the end of the grant period. You will need to submit for reimbursement of funds either monthly or quarterly with invoices.

16. Will the grant cover interest? If, for example, a homeowner takes out a loan to cover construction costs.
Interest payments are not eligible with this grant. We encourage you to work with either the water treatment company or well driller to have them submit an invoice of work to the grantee for reimbursement instead of repaying the private well user. But there are no rules either way.

17. Do in home daycare providers qualify for this grant? 
No, registered daycare providers are defined as non-community non-transient systems through MDH and already have testing and treatment requirements.

You’re also welcome to work with your accredited lab and use a courier service if that’s available.