PFAS Sampling

Program Overview

On April 6, 2026, Act 200 and Act 201 were enacted. The purposes of Acts 200 and 201 are to address PFAS contamination in Wisconsin, ensure that Wisconsinites have access to safe drinking water and disrupt exposure to PFAS. Together, these acts created and funded several grant programs to help Wisconsin's communities address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.

For eligibility, programmatic, laboratory specifications, application and reimbursement information, please review the DNR PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program Guidance for Cycle A.

Cycle A applications are open Oct. 19, 2026 – April 30, 2027.

Who is eligible to apply?

In Cycle A, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is providing $1M of funding for drinking water sampling, $500,000 for post-sampling actions to disrupt PFAS exposures for well owners and users with sample results that exceed drinking water health advisory levels and $500,000 for sampling wastewater and other materials. “Municipalities,” defined by s. 292.74(1)(c), Wis. Stats. as a city, village, town, county, Tribal governing bodies, utility district, lake protection district, sewerage district or technical college district, are eligible to receive Sampling Program grants.

What type of activities are eligible?

Eligible activities include sampling private drinking water wells, sampling drinking water wells at selected schools and child care facilities, sampling wastewater and other materials at facilities such as treatment plants and administrative costs for project implementation. Eligible activities also include post-sampling actions to disrupt PFAS exposures for well owners and users with sample results that exceed drinking water health advisory levels

Where can I find more information?

The Sampling Program Cycle A Grant Guidance has complete eligibility requirements, application instructions, documentation requirements, laboratory sampling information and additional program details.

How can I apply?

Applicants are encouraged to review the Grant Guidance and watch the following videos before applying:

• The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene provides instructional videos for how to unpack PFAS sampling kits, take samples, labeling bottles and paperwork, and repackaging PFAS sampling kits to return them to the laboratory.
• Application Webinar – Drinking Water Sampling [coming soon]
• Application Webinar – Wastewater Sampling [coming soon]

Grant Related Statutes and Administrative Codes

The PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program is authorized under s. 292.74, Wis. Stats.

Laboratory certification requirements are detailed in ch. NR 149, Wis. Adm. Code.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for the PFAS Community Grant Sampling Program are “Municipalities”, defined by s. 292.74(1)(c), Wis. Stats. as a city, village, town, county, Tribal governing bodies, utility district, lake protection district, sewerage district or technical college district. Although sampling may occur at private residences, child care facilities, schools and other facilities, municipal governments and the other entities described above are the only entities eligible to apply for and receive PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program grant funds.

Private landowners and other non-municipal entities interested in sampling their wells for PFAS are encouraged to contact their local municipality to determine if they could be included in a municipal grant application.

Alternatively, private well owners may be eligible to receive a free PFAS home sampling kit through the Wisconsin PFAS Private Well Testing Program (WisPPWT). More information about this program is available on the DNR’s PFAS topic page.

Please refer to the DNR PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program Guidance for Cycle A for additional details.

Eligible Activities – Well Sampling Private Wells and Post-Sampling Response Actions

Municipalities may receive Sampling Program grant funds for the following activities:

• Sampling private water supplies (typically private residences).
• Sampling public water supplies at certain schools and child care facilities as specified in s. 292.74(2)(d), Wis. Stats.
• Administrative costs to design sampling programs and implement grant-funded sampling.
• Temporary bottled water or another alternative water supply for a minimum of six months for well owners and well users whose sample analysis results exceed drinking water health advisory levels.

DNR recommends applicants include a minimum of 25 private residences or one school/child care facility in each application. Please refer to the DNR PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program Guidance for Cycle A for additional details.

Eligible Activities – Wastewater/Biosolids

Eligible applicants may receive Sampling Program grant funds for PFAS sampling anywhere in the wastewater treatment process.

Please refer to the DNR PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program Guidance for Cycle A for additional details.

Cost-Share

Section 292.74(6), Wis. Stats. establishes matching funds requirements for PFAS sampling activities and post-sampling response actions. This requires grant recipients to provide matching funds equal to at least 20 percent of the amount provided by the DNR. This means that a grant applicant will need to know either their total project cost or the total amount that they are requesting from the DNR in order to determine the required match amount that the grant recipient will need to provide in the form of matching funds, in-kind contributions, staff time and effort, volunteer time and effort, or other means.

See the Please refer to the DNR PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program Guidance for Cycle A for additional details. for more information about calculating grant budgets and match.

Deadlines and Timeframes

The DNR is accepting Cycle A applications through April 30, 2027, or until all available funding is awarded.

Applications can be submitted at any time during the current Cycle. Funding is awarded in order as complete applications are received. Applicants will receive a grant award approximately four weeks after DNR receives a complete application. DNR recommends municipalities consider the timeframe of their sampling project and apply with enough time for application processing.

Applying

How to Apply:

1. Review the DNR PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program Guidance for Cycle A.
2. Determine if you are an eligible applicant.
3. Determine if your planned sampling is eligible.
4. Complete the application, supplemental worksheet, required Resolutions and Notifications.

5. Submit application and required documentation to DNRPFASGrants@wisconsin.gov.

   *Review the Grant Guidance before submitting your application for complete eligibility requirements.

Required Forms for both Sampling Programs

• Grant Project Resolution Form 8700-388
• Municipal Notification, if applicable. A template can be found in Appendix B of the PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program Guidance.

Required Forms for Drinking Water/Private Wells

• Drinking Water/Private Wells Application 8700-400DG
• Drinking Water/Private Wells Supplemental Workbook [Excel]

Required Forms for Wastewater/Biosolids

• Wastewater/Biosolids Application Form 8700-400WY
• Wastewater/Biosolids Supplemental Workbook [Excel]

Application Review Process

Once an application is submitted to DNRPFASGrants@wisconsin.gov, applicants will be notified that the application has been received. This does not indicate application acceptance.

Application acceptance will take up to four weeks for review.

Reimbursement

Testing Requirements

Drinking Water/Private Well Grant recipients are required to ensure that all sample testing complies with the PFAS Sampling Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) requirements detailed in Appendix A of the DNR PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program Guidance for Cycle A for additional details. Wastewater/Biosolids sampling must follow the sample requirements specified in the DNR PFAS Community Grants Sampling Program Guidance for Cycle A.

Grant Agreement and Grant Implementation

Grant amounts are based on the information provided in the application. When a grant has been awarded, you will receive a letter and Grant Agreement. The Grant Agreement must be signed and returned to the DNR. At that point, you may begin your project. 

Payment

Payments of the grant award will be made on a reimbursement basis. Reimbursement requests for the PFAS Community Grant Sampling Program project must be submitted no more frequently than once every three months during the grant performance period, and final reimbursement requests must be submitted within 90 days of the end of the grant performance period. Payments cannot exceed the grant amount. Grantees must submit the following forms to request payment:

• Grant Payment Request & Workbook 8700-001
• Force Account: Local Government – Grant Reimbursement 8700-352 (if applicable)
• Donated Volunteer Labor Used as Grant Match 8700-349 (if applicable)
• Sampling analysis results report. Report must be submitted prior to requesting reimbursement for sampling activities.
  • Complete and submit columns P through U of the Drinking Water/Private Wells Supplemental Workbook [Excel] within 60 days of completing sampling grant activities. 
  • Complete and submit columns J and K of the Wastewater/Biosolids Supplemental Workbook [Excel] within 60 days of completing wastewater/biosolids sampling grant activities.
• Post-Sampling Action Plan [Excel] when requesting reimbursement for eligible sampling activities. Post-Sampling Action Plan must be submitted withing 60 days of completing sampling grant activities and prior to requesting reimbursement for sampling activities.
• Post-Sampling Action Plan Report when requesting reimbursement for eligible post-sampling activities. Complete and submit columns V through AB of the Drinking Water/Private Wells Supplemental Workbook [Excel] within 60 days of completing post-sampling grant activities.