WaterSMART

WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants

Through WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants (formerly Challenge Grants) Reclamation provides 50/50 cost share funding to irrigation and water districts, tribes, states and other entities with water or power delivery authority. Projects conserve and use water more efficiently; increase the production of hydropower; mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict; and accomplish other benefits that contribute to water supply reliability in the western United States. Projects are selected through a competitive process and the focus is on projects that can be completed within two or three years.

Announcements

• Reclamation announces funding opportunity grants to improve water reliability and energy efficiency

  The Bureau of Reclamation has announced that it is making grant funding available as part of the WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant Program. Through water and energy efficiency grants, Reclamation provides funding to undertake projects that result in quantifiable and sustained water savings, increase the production of hydropower and support broader water reliability benefits. This funding opportunity is for projects in 2020 and 2021. Read More →

  Funding opportunity on grants.gov

• Reclamation announces $29.1 million in WaterSMART grants to use water more efficiently

  The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation announced that 13 states will utilize $29.1 million in grants from the WaterSMART Program to help communities conserve water. Forty-five projects will be funded based on two categories. In the first category, 28 projects from 11 states were selected to share $7.5 million with each project receiving up to $300,000 in federal funding and having a completion timeframe of less than two years. The second category consists of 17 projects from seven states, sharing $21.5 million. These projects are receiving up to $1.5 million in federal funding and will be completed within three years. Read More →

  Selected Projects