Grants/Funding Opportunities
People recognize and respect city and county borders. Water does not. The South Florida Water Management District is a regional agency committed to ensuring that local perspectives are incorporated into our activities. Strong working relationships between local officials and staff allow us to share and utilize our knowledge, expertise and resources to address shared water and land stewardship responsibilities. Intergovernmental communication, cooperation and coordination are vital to meeting the water resource needs of our communities.
Cooperative Funding Program
The objective of the Cooperative Funding Program is to assist local governments, public and private water providers, and other entities with construction and/or implementation of alternative water supply (AWS) and water conservation (WC) projects that support or complement the District’s mission.
FY2022 Grant Funding Application Period
The South Florida Water Management District appreciates your interest in the Cooperative Funding Program. The application period for the FY2021-22 FDEP funding consideration closed February 26, 2021, at 4 p.m.
Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature support developing water supply and water resource development projects. The SFWMD accepted applications on behalf of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for funding consideration for alternative water supply (AWS) and water conservation projects within the District’s 16-county service area for the tentative FY2021-22 budget appropriations. The District will be providing the list of applicants to the FDEP by May 31, 2021.
Supporting local water projects is an important part of protecting and managing regional water resources, so please refer back to the web page for future program opportunities. To be included on the email notification of future cooperative funding grant opportunities please click here to subscribe.
For the latest information or technical assistance, you may contact Stacey Adams (sadams@sfwmd.gov or 561-682-2577); Jim Harmon (jharmon@sfwmd.gov or 561-682-6777); or Robert Wanvestraut (rowanves@sfwmd.gov or 561-682-6615).
FY2021 Grant Funding Closed
Thank you for your interest in the District’s Cooperative Funding Program. The application period for FY2021 is closed and the list of approved projects is available below:
Alternative Water Supply & Water Conservation [PDF]
FY2019-2020 FDEP and District CFWI Application Process
Thank you for your interest in the Central Florida Water Initiative Water Conservation funding. The application period is now closed. The Steering Committee approved the selected projects during their May 29, 2020 meeting.
Project Types
Alternative Water Supply (AWS) Projects
Meeting the growing need for water in South Florida hinges on efforts to develop region-specific sources that offer an alternative to traditional groundwater and surface water. This component of the Cooperative Funding Program is focused on supporting the development of AWS projects that will diversify the supply while reducing dependence on freshwater resources. Examples of alternative water supply are:
- Saltwater or brackish water
- Reclaimed or recycled water
- Surface water captured during heavy rainfalls
- Sources make available through addition of new storage capacity
- Storm water (for use by consumptive use permittee)
- Any other source designated as non-traditional in a regional water supply plan
Eligible AWS projects in previous years have included aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), reclaimed water plant expansions and transmission mains, reverse osmosis plants, brackish water supply wells and tailwater recovery projects.
From Fiscal Years 1997 to 2021, AWS projects totaling approximately $4.3 billion in construction costs received partial funding from the South Florida Water Management District. This District provided approximately $220 million in budgeted grants towards 522 alternative water supply projects that produced 515 million gallons of capacity per day.
Water Conservation Projects
Formerly known as the Water Savings Incentive Program (WaterSIP), this component of the Cooperative Funding Program is continuing to support water conservation efforts of public and private water providers or users. Projects that use hardware and/or technology to implement water conservation are eligible for funding consideration.
Examples of eligible water conservation projects in previous years include:
- High-efficiency indoor plumbing retrofits and/or rebates
- Automatic line flushing devices and/or hydrant flushing devices
- Pre-rinse spray valves
- Irrigation retrofits, including soil moisture sensors, rain sensors and irrigation head upgrades
The District encourages industrial, commercial, institutional and agricultural water users, as well as homeowners and condominium associations, to apply for funding.
From Fiscal Years 2003 to 2021, $26.8 million in projects qualifying for water conservation cost-share were partially funded. The District contributed approximately $8.3 million toward 238 projects with an estimated savings of 4.7 billion gallons of water per year, or 12.9 million gallons of water per day.