Small Community Funding for Drinking Water and Wastewater Solutions
Small Community Funding for Drinking Water and Wastewater Solutions supports small California communities with financial and technical assistance for safe, affordable, sustainable water services.
Funder: California State Water Resources Control Board
Due Dates: Technical assistance: continuous requests temporarily paused | Drinking Water TA Provider Pool: not accepting qualifications
Funding Amounts: SAFER’s SADW Fund: $130 million annually across the program; urgent drinking water awards above $500,000 require Board approval
Summary: Financial and technical assistance supports sustainable, safe, affordable drinking water and wastewater services, particularly for small, disadvantaged California communities.
Description
The Office of Sustainable Water Solutions, within the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Financial Assistance, administers the Small Community Funding Program. It connects communities with financial and technical assistance for permanent, sustainable drinking water and wastewater treatment services. Support addresses urgent needs as well as the planning, infrastructure, and management needed for reliable long-term service.
Drinking water options include emergency supplies and repairs, infrastructure, drought resilience, domestic well water quality, backup generators, and administrators for struggling systems. Wastewater options include technical assistance, low-cost financing, and connections from unsewered areas to centralized systems. Related cleanup grants address pollution where no viable responsible parties exist. SAFER combines funding, technical tools, and regulatory authorities to help Californians lacking safe drinking water and support sustainable system operations.
