Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF)
Forecasted
Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) supports local governments and individuals with wastewater treatment upgrades and conveyance projects to reduce point source nutrient loads to the Chesapeake Bay.
Funder: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Due Dates (Anticipated): July 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Grant request calculated using eligible project costs, cost-share percentage, and flow-ratio proration
Summary: WQIF supports wastewater treatment upgrades and certain conveyance infrastructure projects that reduce point source nutrient loads to the Chesapeake Bay.
Key Information: Point source construction grants require enforceable agreements covering long-term operation, maintenance, monitoring, reporting, and non-performance penalties.
Description
The Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF), administered by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), provides technical and financial assistance to local governments and individuals reducing point source nutrient loads to the Chesapeake Bay. Established under the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Act of 1997, the fund helps finance nutrient reduction strategies for the Bay and its tributaries.
Current project eligibility focuses on the design and installation of nutrient reduction technology at publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, along with certain wastewater conveyance infrastructure projects. DEQ develops project-specific grant agreements using engineering, cost, and service-area information. The program also considers whether nutrient credits through the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Nutrient Credit Exchange Program would be significantly more cost-effective than installing nutrient controls.
