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Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program

Agency: Rural Utilities Service

Assistance Listings: 10.862 -- Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program

Last Updated: September 30, 2025

The DWS Grant Program has been established to help individuals with low to moderate incomes finance certain costs of household water wells and individually owned decentralized wastewater systems that they own or will own. Grants are made to eligible nonprofit organizations to establish and maintain a revolving fund to provide loans and sub-grants to eligible individuals for individually owned water well systems and/or individually owned wastewater systems. Loan and/or sub-grant funds may be used by the individual to construct, refurbish, rehabilitate, or replace decentralized water well or wastewater systems. For water well systems, funds may be used up to the point of entry to a home, which is the junction where water enters into a home water delivery system after being pumped from a well. For wastewater systems, in lieu of the point of entry, the point of exit is substituted. The point of exit is the junction where wastewater exits out of the home wastewater collection system into the septic tank and drain field. DWS grant funds may be used by the nonprofit recipient to pay administrative expenses associated with providing DWS loans and/or sub-grants.


Eligibility

Eligible applicants

Miscellaneous

  • Other

Additional information

Information on eligibility is available at this website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-environmental-programs/rural-decentralized-water-systems-grant-program

Grantor contact information

Description

DWS Grant Manager

Email

Email address

Water-RD@usda.gov

Documents

File nameDescriptionLast updated
FY26_DWS_Application_Guide.pdf
FY26 DWS Application Guide
Sep 30, 2025 02:07 PM UTC
FY26_DWS_NOFO.pdf
FY26 DWS NOFO
Sep 30, 2025 02:06 PM UTC

Link to additional information

Program Website

Closing: December 1, 2025

Application process

This site is a work in progress. Go to www.grants.gov to apply, track application status, and subscribe to updates.

Award

$6,000,000

Program Funding

10

Expected awards

$--

Award Minimum

$--

Award Maximum

Funding opportunity number:

RDRUS-26-DWS

Cost sharing or matching requirement:

Yes

Funding instrument type:

Grant

Opportunity Category:

Discretionary

Opportunity Category Explanation:

--

Category of Funding Activity:

Community development

Category Explanation:

--

History

Version:

5

Posted date:

October 1, 2025

Archive date:

January 31, 2026

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