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Source Water Protection Grants
The Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment has supported source water protection grants for public water suppliers in Minnesota since 2010.
MDH will award new grants each fiscal year if funding is available. MDH will accept applications during the following time periods.
| Notice of Availability by Grant Category | Months Applications Accepted |
|---|---|
| Plan Implementation | March and September |
| Competitive | April and October |
| Transient | March and September |
Public water suppliers are eligible for different grants based on their customer base and if they have a source water protection plan.
A public water supplier will qualify for continued grant eligibility after receiving an initial grant if they fulfilled all of the conditions that were specified under a previous grant. Grant funds may not be used to pay the fines or penalties of an Administrative Penalty Order.
Plan Implementation Grants
for community and noncommunity nontransient systems
- Apply to community or nontransient noncommunity water suppliers that have a current MDH-approved wellhead protection plan or MDH-endorsed intake protection plan;
- Has a maximum amount of $10,000;
- Must be spent within the state fiscal biennium; and
- Does not require any financial cost share by the public water supplier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Plan Implementation Grants
Competitive Grants
for community and noncommunity nontransient systems
- Will help implement source water protection measures regardless of whether or not a community or noncommunity nontransient public water supplier has a wellhead protection plan in place;
- Support management of a potential contamination source that presents a high risk to a source of drinking water as determined by the MDH;
- Have a maximum amount of $10,000, which may be increased to $30,000 when three or more public water suppliers apply under the same application; and
- Must include an equal financial cost share amount.
Frequently Asked Questions about Competitive Grants
Transient Grants
for noncommunity transient systems
- Support wellhead protection measures that address a potential contamination source that presents a high risk to a source of drinking water as determined by MDH;
- Have a maximum amount of $10,000, which may be increased to $30,000 when three or more public water suppliers apply under the same application; and
- Require an equal financial cost share amount.
Applications are open each March and September for Plan Implementation and Transient Grants and in April and October for Competitive Grants.
Plan Implementation Grant
- Plan Implementation Grant Application (PDF)
- Applicant/Recipient Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (PDF)
- Plan Implementation Grant Invoice (PDF)
Competitive Grant
- Competitive Grant Application (PDF)
- Applicant/Recipient Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (PDF)
- Competitive Grant Invoice (PDF)
Transient Grant
- Transient Grant Application (PDF)
- Applicant/Recipient Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (PDF)
- Transient Grant Invoice (PDF)
Grant Narrative (Use with all grants above)
Source Water Protection Grants help Noncommunity Water Systems provide safe drinking water.
See examples of eligible and ineligible activities below and on the Source Water Protection Grants information sheet (PDF).
Activities must protect the drinking water source to be eligible for grant funding.
Examples of eligible activities:
- Sealing an unused well
- Constructing a new well
- Pressure tanks are grant eligible, as part of a new well construction and pump system project. The pressure tank must be appropriately sized for the pump being proposed for the new well and not sized for additional water storage. This change is effective starting with the FY 22 fall round of Transient, Implementation, and Competitive SWP grants.
- Installing a monitoring well
- Inspecting a well (video log, gamma log)
- Educating citizens
- Updating the potential contaminant source inventory
- Connecting private users to a public water supply (only when documented by MDH for compliance purposes)
- Planning for spill or emergency response
- Purchasing generators (MDH plan review and approval is required)
Examples of ineligible activities:
- Developing or amending source water protection plans
- Conducting infrastructure projects not related to the source of drinking water (e.g., replacing pump house buildings)
- Maintaining the public water supply system
- Purchasing a pressure tank designed to serve the purpose of water storage, as well as the replacement or maintenance of pressure tanks, remains ineligible for grant reimbursement.
Please note that grants do not cover illegal activities, activities that have already been completed, indirect or administrative costs related to the grant, or permitting fees payable to MDH (i.e. well construction fee; well sealing fee).
Contact the grants coordinator if you have questions about an activity’s eligibility before applying for a grant.
You can look up information about past grant awards using our Interactive Dashboard for Source Water Protection Grants. Grant reports for previous years are available upon request by calling 651-201-4700 or sending an email to health.drinkingwater@state.mn.us.