DNR Announces New Grant Program To Help Small Public Water Systems Provide Safer Water

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the release of a new grant program that will help certain water systems provide safer water to their communities.

The Underserved Drinking Water System Grant Program will help other-than-municipal community and nonprofit non-transient non-community public water systems provide safe water in Wisconsin by providing funding for systems to address active violations and action level exceedances.

The application period for the Underserved Drinking Water System Grant Program opens Sept. 3 and closes Dec. 3.

Following the release of the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program, this is the second grant program that will reach these two types of public water systems, which have historically been unable to receive financial assistance in Wisconsin.

“Public water systems strive to provide safe water to their communities, but many lack the financial capacity to afford the much-needed infrastructure changes,” said Adam DeWeese, DNR public water supply section manager.

The new grant program is funded through the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016. In summer 2024, the DNR received a financial assistance agreement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue subawards to help underserved communities that are served by public water systems that violate or exceed a requirement of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, such as maximum contaminant level violations, treatment technique violations and lead action level exceedances.

Who Is Eligible?

Other-than-municipal community: public water systems not owned by a government or municipality and serve groups of 25 or more year-round residents. Examples include mobile home parks, apartment buildings and condominium associations.

Nonprofit non-transient non-community: non-residential public water systems that regularly serve groups of at least 25 of the same people over 6 months of the year and are nonprofit. Examples include public schools and nonprofit daycare centers. These systems should verify they are nonprofit to qualify for the grant.

Owners of water systems with active violations or action level exceedances should review eligibility requirements in the grant announcement.

Learn more on the Underserved Drinking Water System Grant webpage.

Please direct any questions to DNRUnderservedGrants@wisconsin.gov.