Overview
The Water Resources Department received $500,000
dollars to help Oregonians in the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area
of Concern repair or replace and permanently abandon household wells
that were impacted by declining groundwater levels. Applications for
funding will be accepted through May 31, 2024. Please see below for
additional details.
Updates and Announcements
OWRD is currently not accepting Harney Domestic Well Fund applications. OWRD evaluates Harney Domestic Well Fund applications and awards funds as part of funding cycles. We anticipate the next application deadline will be fall 2025 and will announce the date online.
OWRD’s Harney Domestic Well Remediation Fund may reimburse qualifying homeowners in the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern (GHVGAC) for a portion of the cost to repair or replace and abandon a dry, severely declining, or at-risk household water wells impacted by declining groundwater levels.
Am I eligible for funding?
OWRD is currently not accepting Harney Domestic Well Fund applications. During the last funding cycle, you were eligible for funding if:
- You own property in the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern (GHVGAC).
- The property is your primary residence, or you rent the property to someone else, and it is their primary residence.
- The residence was constructed prior to April 15, 2016, and is supplied water by a water supply well that is used for household purposes to supply water for drinking, cooking, washing, bathing, or other household uses.
- Your well is not a public water supply well, community well, or very small water system.
- Your property does not have an alternate source of water available.
- You have owned the property for 1 year (365 days).
How do I apply?
OWRD is currently not accepting Harney Domestic Well Fund applications. The next application due date is anticipated to be fall 2025. OWRD will announce the reopening online.
How much money could I qualify for?
If approved for funding, a homeowner could receive 75% of the cost (up to $10,000) to repair or replace their well. If the well is replaced, the old well must be abandoned, and an additional $3,500 may be awarded for those costs.
Please see the Guidance for Homeowners document for more information.
How will applications be prioritized for funding?
Funding will be prioritized based on whether the well is able to sustain the household or is at risk of going dry, whether the property is owner-occupied, if the landowner’s household is low to moderate income, and if the property is located within a prioritized area based on groundwater declines.
For additional information on the prioritization, please see the Guidance for Homeowners document.
About the Funding
The Water Resources Department received $500,000 dollars from the Oregon Legislature to help Oregonians in the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern repair or replace and permanently abandon household wells that were impacted by declining groundwater levels. To date, OWRD has awarded $71,649 to seven landowners who applied for funding during the 2024 funding cycle.
Are the funds taxable?
Grants are taxable income. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires the Oregon Water Resources Department to report all grant payments as taxable income. OWRD will provide a 1099-G tax form as proof of income. We mail the 1099-G form to the address on record. Forms are mailed mid-January for payments made the prior year. For additional information about your tax liability, please contact the IRS or a tax professional as OWRD cannot provide any tax advice.
What other resources are available?
The Oregon Water Resources Department’s Statewide Well Abandonment, Repair, and Replacement Fund (WARRF) provides financial assistance to help low to moderate income individual households or members of a federally recognized tribe in Oregon with the cost to repair or replace a dry or nearly dry well or a well that was impacted by wildfire and is no longer supplying enough water to sustain the household. Please see our website for the most current information.
Additional resources may be available to assist with low interest loans or grants for wells from the following organizations:
Please note, accepting a grant from another source will disqualify you from receiving a Harney Domestic Well Remediation Fund grant.
Informational Presentations