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Drinking Water Source Protection Grant Program

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Background

In June 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 2010 that, combined with other legislation, allocates $5 million to establish the Drinking Water Source Protection (DWSP) Grant Program at OWEB. Through the DWSP Grant Program, OWEB will provide grants to public water suppliers to protect, restore, or enhance sources of drinking water through land acquisition and conservation. The program focuses on water suppliers that serve rural communities and/or lower-income populations but is not limited to these communities. See below for eligibility information.

Purpose

The DWSP Grant Program provides land acquisition grants to Water Suppliers to protect, restore, or enhance sources of drinking water through:

  1. The acquisition of lands from willing sellers;
  2. Entering into covenants, easements, or similar agreements with willing landowners; or
  3. Repaying a loan used to finance a project as described (a) or (b) above.

Program Overview

Public water suppliers with service populations at or below 25,000 users​, and also classified in one of the following public water system categories:​

  • ​Community Water Systems owned by a local government or non-profit water supplier ​
  • Transient Non-Community Water Systems owned by a local government or non-profit water supplier
  • Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems owned by a local government or non-profit water supplier
  • Oregon Very Small Water Systems owned by a local government or non-profit water supplier
  • Tribal Public Water Systems

The following water systems are not​ eligible for this program:​

  • Federal-owned w​ater systems
  • State-owned water systems
  • Water systems operated for profit
    ​

  • Lands for which acquisition will result in the protection, restoration, or enhancement for the benefit a drinking water source used by the Water Supplier
  • ​Must be partially or fully within the Water Supplier’s Drinking Water Source Area 
  • Both surface water and groundwater source protection are eligible ​

  • Fee title acquisition of lands from willing sellers
  • Entering into covenants, easements, or similar agreements with willing landowners
  • ​Repaying a loan used to finance one of the above

A water supplier may form a partnership with an eligible holder other than a state agency (defined in ORS 271.715; for example, a land trust or soil and water conservation district) to carry out land acquisition and long-term management of the property.

​​$5,000,000 available within the program
$3,000,000 cap for individual grant requests

Required Match: ​5% cash or in-kind match from non-OWEB sources​​


Program Guidance and Materials

  • Program ManualSee FAQ for two minor corrections.
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Created 10/29/24 to supplement the DWSP Program Manual.
  • Guidance on Budgeting in Grants (GoBig) DWSP Appendix
  • Budget Worksheet
  • Title Analysis Sheet
  • Appraisal Contracting Worksheet
  • Landowner Acknowledgement Form
  • Evaluation Criteriaupdated 11/7/2024
  • Grant Agreement Template
  • Application Template. For reference only. Applications must be submitted via OWEB’s online application system.
  • OWEB Online Application Guidance – Please see pages 1, 2, 4, and 54 for online application assistance relevant to the DWSP Grant Program. The rest of the pages are focused on OWEB’s traditional grant offerings and are not applicable to DWSP.
  • 10 Best Practices in Community Engagement around Water Projects– For guidance on how to meaningfully include your community in the project, please refer to this document.

    • Grant Cycle Timeline

    October 10, 2024 at 10:30 am – OWEB hosted an informational Zoom webinar to present program materials. A recording is posted on OWEB’s YouTube channel and you can view the slides here: DWSP Informational Webinar Slides

    October 21, 2024 – Grant solicitation opens
    Pre-application consultations are required. Please schedule your meeting with Audrey Squires, DWSP Specialist, at least two weeks prior to the grant deadline.

    December 12, 2024 at 5 pm – Grant solicitation closes

    January - March 2025 - Project review, including virtual site visits in January or February 2025

    April 2025 – Board approval of recommended projects / Grant agreements signed

    October 2026 - Approximate closing deadline for funded projects


    1. Obtain a login (username and password).
      ​If your organization already has an OGMS login, skip to step 2.
      ​An OGMS login is required to access the online grant application. Only one login per organization is allowed. If no login exists for an organization, please email Leilani Sullivan​​​​ to request one. Include the following in your email:
      • ​Organization name and address
      • Grantee Contact Information: name, title, email address, and phone number for the person who will receive all communication from OWEB and sign any grant agreements.
      • Payee Contact Information: name, email address, and phone number for the person who keeps records and submits payment requests and documentation.
      • FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number). OWEB may enter into agreements only with legally established entities. OWEB will review potential applicants prior to creating an OGMS login.
      • ​Per federal guidance, all OWEB grantees must be registered at the System for Award Management (SAM) before receiving a grant agreement. Entities will receive a non-proprietary identifier (called the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).) This identifier is assigned by SAM (sam.gov​ is a free service) and entities must update their registration annually.
      ​
    2. Log in to the Online Application.
      Guidance to help you fill out the application is always available in the top navigation bar of the online application. An application template is also available after you log in and choose "Create a New Application."

    Please contact Audrey Squires​ with questions.

    Contact

    Please direct questions or comments to Audrey Squires, Drinking Water Source Protection Specialist, 503-798-6337.

    Stay informed about DWSP Grant Program updates by subscribing to the OWEB GovDelivery.

    Administrative Rules and Statutes

    The OWEB Board recently adopted  Oregon's Administrative Rules for the DWSP Grant Program located on the Secretary of State website. The DWSP rules will provide potential applicants with a detailed understanding of the grant program. This presentation, delivered to the OWEB Board on July 24, 2024, provides a summary of the DWSP administrative rules. The Oregon Revised Statutes for the program are located here: ORS 448.370 to 448.380.

    Information and materials from the rulemaking process can be found on OWEB’s Administrative Rules webpage.