Now accepting applications for the 2023 Local Source Water Protection Grant Program
NHDES is now accepting applications for the 2023 Local Source Water Protection Grant Program. Eligible applicants including public water systems, municipalities, planning commissions, conservation districts, watershed associations, and educational institutions may apply for grant funding to protect local sources of drinking water. The grants can be used to identify areas to protect, inventory and assess contamination risks, pay for land conservation transaction costs, and improve security systems (e.g., fencing, alarms, lighting) for public water supply sources. Applicants may be awarded grants of up to $25,000 for source water protection projects while projects that address climate change can receive up to $30,000.
In 2022, 13 Local Source Water Protection Grants were awarded for projects that included:
- Updating groundwater protection ordinances
- Inventorying potential contamination sources (PCSs)
- Implementing erosion control BMPs
- Updating local zoning codes
- Installing security fences around wells
- Collecting chloride data from aquifers that contribute to wells
- Developing a GIS database for wastewater treatment risk assessment
- Public education and outreach activities
The 2023 grant application form is available online on the Drinking Water-Related Grants webpage. The submission deadline is November 1, 2022. For more information or to discuss your grant project ideas, contact Melissa Macheras at Melissa.E.Macheras@des.nh.gov or (603) 271-2950.