Drinking Water-Related Grants

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau (DWGB) is pleased to announce the Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) and Replacement Plan for Large Community Water Systems Grant program. Eligible communities interested in receiving the grant are asked to complete the Large PWS LSLI Grant Program Application. The program budget allows grants of $50,000 to $100,000 based on number of service connections. No community match is required. Total project cost may exceed the grant amount; however, only the grant amount will be reimbursed. 

There is no deadline for this submittal; however, the deadline to complete inventories and replacement plans is October 16, 2024. Grants will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Refer to application instructions for eligibility criteria.

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Since 2017, NHDES has made grants available to public water systems that utilize surface water sources to assist in the development of programs to monitor their source and finished water for indicators of cyanobacteria blooms and cyanotoxins. Applicants funded through this program have utilized grant funds for equipment purchases, including handheld fluorometers to monitor for cyanobacterial pigments, microscope cameras for cell enumeration and imaging, and equipment to facilitate the collection of surface water samples.

Projects that involve the collection, analysis or manipulation of environmental (e.g., water quality) data will require a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). Grant funds may be used to develop a new QAPP and/or a Site Specific Project Plan (SSPP), the latter being required when there are deviations from an approved QAPP. If the equipment and/or activities are currently addressed within the existing US EPA Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative (CMC) QAPP, applicants may be able to cite that document rather than developing their own. Past applicants have used grant funds for the reimbursement of expenses associated with the development of a SSPP.

For the 2020 round of grants, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

The 2022-2023 Water System Sustainability Grant Program is a group of grants intended to assist Community Water Systems (CWS) in developing programs that will ensure sustainable operations and identify possible improvements in technical, managerial and/or financial operations, also known as Capacity Development. This program includes grants for drinking water asset management, green projects such as water audits, energy audits and energy audit implementation, and strategic planning projects.

Grant amounts, applicant matching and application time frames are different for each funding opportunity. See specific grant category for more information.

Each water system may apply for multiple funding opportunities, but, in order to ensure efficient use of funds, each project must be independent of each other. Similarly, any water system that has previously been awarded an Asset Management Grant must complete that grant project before applying for a new Asset Management Grant.

Apply for a Water Sustainability Grant, see previous grant results or learn more about the NHDES Asset Management Programs.

The NHDES Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau has offered the Leak Detection Survey Grant since 2010. This grant is open to all community water systems in New Hampshire. Selected applicants receive a free leak detection survey by a professional leak detection firm that is retained by NHDES through a competitive bid process.

The grant program is administered in annual grant rounds. The application for each grant round is available in June, and the leak detection survey is conducted during the following field season (typically April to November). For example, the application for the 2023 field season was available in June 2022.

These surveys are an important way of discovering leaks on a system’s water mains, service lines, hydrants and valves. Proactive leak detection and repair can reduce a water system’s pumping and treatment costs, provide an opportunity to better manage and prioritize system projects, and protect water supply quality and quantity.

Since 1997, NHDES has made small grants to water suppliers, municipalities and other local organizations for the purpose of protecting drinking water sources. Protection projects funded through this program have included delineation of wellhead protection areas, inventorying potential contamination sources, development of local protection ordinances, groundwater reclassification, shoreline surveys, drinking water education and outreach activities, and controlling access to sources. 

The Tank Inspection Grant is intended to assist active community water systems with potable water storage tanks of 25,000 gallons or less and a population served of 1,000 or less, and will be applied toward a full tank inspection, cleaning and findings report. No match is required from the community. Projects will be funded in full by the grant.

Through a separate, competitive bid process, NHDES will select a contractor that will provide services to selected communities to fully clean, inspect and compile a full report of the findings for the inspected drinking water storage tanks.  Eligible communities interested in participating in the program for cleaning and inspection of the storage tank are asked to complete the Tank Cleaning and Inspection Grant Application.

The application for the 2024 round of grants is due by 4 PM on November 1, 2023. 

For additional information regarding technical assistance for small public water systems, see the Small PWS Help Center.