Reclamation investing in small water efficiency projects
The Bureau of Reclamation has announced grant opportunities small, on-the-ground projects that conserve, better manage or use water more efficiently in the West.
The funds are available through the WaterSMART Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects grant opportunity. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and, when enacted, 2022 appropriations will fund the selected projects.
The funding opportunity is available at www.grants.gov (opportunity number R22AS00195). Applications are due on April 28, 2022, at 4 p.m.
“Today’s announcement illustrates how the funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will allow Reclamation to leverage and amplify successful and proven tools,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo. “These additional funds will expand the number of on-the-ground projects and further support western communities to improve water conservation and reliability.”
"These small, community-led projects can help western communities address some of their water management issues," said Reclamation Acting Commissioner David Palumbo. "The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is allowing us to reach many Western communities where they have identified a need but not necessarily the funding to complete the work."
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law contains $400 million over five years for WaterSMART grants, including small-scale water efficiency projects. In 2022, Reclamation is making $160 million available and will release other funding opportunities this spring.
For more than 100 years, Reclamation and its partners have developed sustainable water and power solutions for the West. This funding opportunity is part of the Department of the Interior's WaterSMART Program, which focuses on improving water conservation and reliability while helping water resource managers make sound decisions about water use.
More information is available at Reclamation's WaterSMART program webpage.