Safe drinking water action grants

These grants are for local governments to provide safe drinking water to people living in areas that are or may be affected by contamination from hazardous waste sites.

Every even-numbered year, we work with local governments to understand the 10-year cost of critical cleanup work in Washington. Their responses inform our biennial budget request to the governor and legislature. Our grant managers coordinate applications for grants and loans that receive funding every two years in the approved biennial budget.

Funding cycle

  • Amount of funding available: Established with each enacted capital budget
  • Grant award limit: None
  • Amount of matching funds required: 10–50 percent, but we may not fund all the eligible investigation costs

Applications are not being accepted at this time.

The next solicitation will occur in the first quarter of 2026 for potential funding in the 2027–29 Biennium. Guidance and instructions will be published no later than January 2026.

Funding is available for the following entities:

For help choosing between area-wide groundwater investigation grants and safe drinking water grants, read the focus sheet describing the differences.

Project types

  • Developing and replacing water supply sources, including pumping and storage facilities, source meters, and related equipment
  • Lines between major system components, including inter-ties with other water systems
  • Treatment equipment/facilities
  • Distribution lines from major system components to customers or service connections
  • Bottled water until a safe, permanent source is in place
  • Fire hydrants
  • Service meters
  • Project inspection, engineering, and administration
  • Individual service connections, including fees, if property owners pay a majority of the cost
  • Closing drinking water wells that are an environmental safety or health hazard under state regulation
  • Interim financing until local government issues revenue bonds
  • Costs the health department deems necessary to operate a system that complies with federal and state standards, or that are required in the coordinated water system plan standards
  • Costs we identify to protect a public water system from contamination or to locate contamination sources

More information about this funding program

Cultural resource review

For ground-disturbing remedial actions to be eligible for grant funding, Ecology or another state or federal agency must consult with the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and affected Tribes before cleanup actions begin. Read more about our cultural resource review requirement.