Water quality grants and loans

Grant Applications now open

Freshwater Algae Control and Freshwater Aquatic Invasive Plant Management applications now open.

We are accepting applications Oct. 15 to Dec. 17, 2024. Funds will be available for state fiscal year 2026. Learn more about how to apply for the Freshwater Algae Control and Freshwater Aquatic Invasive Plant Management Grant Programs.

We provide millions of dollars of funding to improve, protect, and restore water quality across the state. We have several opportunities that vary by funding source, funding category, and type of project. The largest opportunity is our Water Quality Combined Fund where we provide a single application process to fund a variety of projects.

This page provides more information about our funding and resources for those who have received funding (recipients).

If you are looking for more information about how to apply for funds (applicants), you can find eligibility criteria, instructions and guidance, and timelines on the funding opportunity pages:

Water quality combined funding program
Stormwater capacity grants program (next application anticipated Summer 2025)
Aquatic invasive plants management grants
Freshwater algae control grant program (next application anticipated late Fall 2025)
Puget Sound National Estuary Program stormwater strategic initiative grants
Puget Sound nutrient reduction grants program
Emergency Funding
- Emergency loan funding may be available for public wastewater facilities serving a population of 10,000 or fewer people for water quality projects where a local emergency has been declared. Information is available in the CWSRF Emergency Funding Program Guidelines or by contacting Eliza Keeley.

Apply

Water Quality Combined Funding Program

Our Water Quality Combined Funding is an integrated funding program for projects that improve and protect water quality throughout the state. Projects include: wastewater, stormwater, nonpoint source activities, and on-site sewage systems. We use an annual single-application process to award funding from multiple sources all at once, through a competitive ranking process. Projects are scored and ranked based on how much they will benefit water quality and how ready the project is to go to the next step. We create funding packages to meet applicant’s needs with the best available funding from several different grants and loans.

Visit our applicant page to view our applicant workshops that explain how to apply.

Types of funding that make up the combined fund

Clean Water Section 319 Grants
Centennial Clean Water Program Grants
Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), including Emerging Contaminants
Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants (OSG)
Stormwater Financial Assistance Program grants (SFAP)
Stormwater Community-Based Public-Private Partnerships (CBP3)

This is a list of all of the types of funding that make up the Water Quality Combined Funding Program.

Clean Water Act Section 319 federal grants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides grants to Washington under Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act. The state is required to provide a 40% match in funding. The Section 319 grant program offers funding to eligible nonpoint source pollution control projects, similar to the state Centennial Clean Water Program.

Centennial Clean Water Program grants

The Washington state Centennial Clean Water Program is funded through the state capital budget. The program is authorized by statute (Chapter 70A.135 RCW). Centennial grants provide support for wastewater facility projects for financially distressed communities, stormwater activities, OSS, and nonpoint source pollution projects.

Clean Water State Revolving Fund loans

Provided by the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program is funded through an annual EPA capitalization grant, state matching funds, and principal and interest repayments on past program loans. The program is authorized by statute (Chapter 90.50A RCW). The CWSRF program provides low-interest and forgivable principal loan funding for wastewater treatment construction projects, eligible nonpoint source pollution control projects, and eligible "green" projects.

Stormwater Financial Assistance Program grants

The Washington state Stormwater Financial Assistance Program (SFAP) is funded through the state budget to reduce water pollution impacts from existing infrastructure and development. The program is managed following Model Toxics Control (Chapter 173-323 WAC). SFAP was developed in consultation with community partners and integrated into Water Quality Combined Funding Program by direction of the 2013 Washington State Legislature. Stormwater facility projects and a limited set of stormwater activities project types are eligible for SFAP funding.

Stormwater Grants of Statewide Significance

GROSS grants are included in the combined program as of SFY26.

The Washington state Municipal Stormwater Grants of Regional or Statewide Significance (GROSS) program provides financial assistance to Phase I and Phase II permittees for projects that benefit multiple permittees’ stormwater management programs or have regional or statewide significance. This program is funded by the state budget.

Stormwater Community-Based Public-Private Partnerships

The Stormwater Community-Based Public-Private Partnership (CBP3) program funds the planning and development of CBP3s, performance-based contracts, and other forms of alternative procurement to accelerate stormwater project delivery. This program is funded by the state budget.

Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant (OSG) Program grants

America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018, amended section 221 of the Clean Water Act reauthorized the federal Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants (OSG) program. EPA awards grants to states, which provide sub-awards to eligible entities for projects that address infrastructure needs for combined sewer overflows (CSO), sanitary sewer overflows (SSO), and stormwater management, with emphasis on green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency improvements, and other environmentally innovative activities.

interactive map with many colored dots showing where projects are located. — View our interactive map to find which projects have been funded in your community.

Current Funding Cycle

The annual application cycle opened on Aug. 13, 2024 and closed on Oct. 15, 2024. This year, we received 144 applications requesting funding. See the full list of applications and summary table below.

Funding Requested

2025 Funding Offers

The opportunity to apply for this funding ran from Aug. 15, 2023 to Oct. 12, 2023.

Find previous final offer lists and loan rates below

Sign up for our email list to get notified about funding guidelines, applicant and recipient workshops, and other general grant and loan information.

Recieved a grant/loan?

View project requirements and resources by project type

Additional resource pages

Clean Water State Revolving Fund

Environmental & Cultural Resource review

chart and map next to it showing the state of washington with different counties colored darker the more money they received.

How has the money been used?

Every two years we produce an Outcomes Report, summarizing funding and highlights for completed projects.

2021-2023 Biennium Outcomes Report StoryMap and accompanying blog post one and two.
2019-2021 Biennium Outcomes Report StoryMap
2017-2019 Biennium Outcomes Report and StoryMap
2015-2017 Biennium Outcomes Report

List of previous and still active Final Offer Lists and Loan interest rates

State Fiscal Year 2024 funding cycle

2024 Loan interest rates:

30-year loans have a 1.6% interest rate
20-year loans have a 1.2% interest rate
5-year loans have a 0.6% interest rate

State Fiscal Year 2023 funding cycle

2023 Loan interest rates:

30-year loans have a 1.4% interest rate.
20-year loans have a 1.1% interest rate.
5-year loans have a 0.5% interest rate.

State Fiscal Year 2022 funding cycle

2022 Loan interest rates:

30-year loans have a 1.6% interest rate
20-year loans have a 1.2% interest rate
5-year loans have a 0.6% interest rate

State Fiscal Year 2021 funding cycle

2021 Loan interest rates:

30-year loans have a 1.6% interest rate
20-year loans have a 1.2% interest rate
5-year loans have a 0.6% interest rate

State Fiscal Year 2020 funding cycle

2020 Loan interest rates:

30-year loans have a 2.7% interest rate
20-year loans have a 2% interest rate
5-year loans have a 1% interest rate

State Fiscal Year 2019 funding cycle

2019 Loan interest rates:

21 to 30-year loans have a 2.6% interest rate
6 to 20-year loans have a 2% interest rate
1 to 5-year loans have a 1% interest rate

State Fiscal Year 2018 funding cycle

2018 Loan interest rates:

6 to 20-year loans have a 1.5% interest rate
1 to 5-year loans have a 0.7% interest rate

Other resources

Ecology Grants and Loans Map Viewer

Use this interactive map to view, search, and download data from some of Ecology's past and currently funded projects throughout the state.

Contact information

Eliza Keeley
Water Quality Combined Funding Planner
eliza.keeley@ecy.wa.gov
360-628-1976

Jeff Nejedly
Water Quality Financial Management Section Manager
jeffrey.nejedly@ecy.wa.gov
360 878-4313

Sign up for our email list to get notified about funding guidelines, applicant and recipient workshops, and other general grant and loan information.