BOISE — Governor Little announced yesterday his proposal of $115 million to support Idaho’s drinking water and wastewater facilities.
The announcement, which was made during the governor’s State of the State address, is in addition to the $300 million in water infrastructure funding allocated in 2022.
“Over the past two years, we made the biggest investments ever in our most precious resource—water,” said Governor Little in the State of the State address. “Now I am proposing more investments in water quantity and water quality infrastructure to not only reduce the burden on local property taxpayers but also to secure abundant clean water for years to come,” he said.
Funding will be used to assist eligible public drinking water systems and wastewater systems with facility planning projects and help entities build or repair existing public drinking water systems and wastewater treatment facilities.
Eligible applicants include governmental entities and nonprofit corporations that have authority to collect, treat, or dispose of sewage or industrial wastewater as well as community water systems and nonprofit noncommunity water systems.
Application Process and Deadline
Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest—also known as an LOI—to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) detailing their need for funding.
LOIs for all funding opportunities, including the $115 million in Leading Idaho grants, planning grants, and State Revolving Fund loans were originally due by January 13, 2023, but DEQ is extending that date to January 20, 2023. LOI forms are available on DEQ’s Grants and Loans page and can be submitted electronically to[email protected].
DEQ will evaluate, rate, and rank responses for inclusion on the annual priority list. LOI forms that receive the highest ratings will then be invited to submit a grant or loan application.
