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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.


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.


​You may be 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).

​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.

​Funding will be prioritized based on whether the well is able to sustain the household or at risk of going dry, whether the property is owner-occupied, if the landowner’s household is low to moderate income, and if the household is within a prioritized area based on groundwater declines. Applications will be ranked in the following order for funding until all funds have been exhausted. Applications within the same level will be prioritized based on order of receipt.

For additional information, please see the Guidance for Homeowners document.

​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.

​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.



For more information contact:

Phone: 503-779-5763

Email: OWRD.Well.Funding

Other Resources: