Water Project Funding in Florida

If you're interested in financial assistance for a wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, or surface water improvement project, you'll find information on available money, basic program requirements and whom to talk to in DEP's "Water Resource Funding in Florida" brochure. You will also find more detailed information on DEP's various water-related funding programs at the following links:

Low interest State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans for wastewater, stormwater and drinking water. Loans at significantly discounted interest rates are available to fund both construction and pre-construction (planning, design) activities. The SRF is by far DEP's largest funding program and makes $200-300 million or more available, primarily to local governments, each year.

Disadvantaged Small Community wastewater grants for wastewater management infrastructure for municipalities with fewer than 7,500 people and per capita incomes less than the state average as of the 2000 Census. Local matching funds are required. About $21 million is awarded annually at present.

Federal section 319(h) grants for stormwater retrofit projects and stormwater best management practices, which are targeted to certain priority surface watersheds. Local matching funds are required. Approximately $7-8 million is available each year.

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) funding for stormwater retrofit projects, which are targeted to surface waters that have been identified as "impaired" (not meeting water quality standards) through DEP's TMDL program. The amount of financial assistance each year will vary depending on legislative appropriations but typically is $10-12 million.

Legislative water project appropriations (member projects or "Community Budget Issue Requests (CBIR)") for wastewater, stormwater, surface water improvement, and drinking water. This is an annual process implemented and directed by the Florida Legislature but coordinated with DEP. Local matching funds may be required and are always advisable. The amount of money available each year varies widely and depends exclusively on legislative appropriations. NOTE: On November 18, 2009, in a memo to all Florida legislators, Senate President Jeff Atwater and House Speaker Ray Sansom stated that the CBIR process would not be opened for the 2009 legislative session.

Alternative water supply funding for the construction of local alternative water supply projects, including funding for desalination, development of brackish surface and groundwater supplies, surface water capture, new storage capacity (such as aquifer storage and recovery wells) , reclaimed (reuse) projects, downstream augmentation of water bodies with reclaimed water, and other nontraditional water supply sources in a given area. Local matching funds are required. Funds may be made available at the state level through DEP to Florida's five Water Management Districts and augmented with similar amounts from the districts. Consult your local Water Management District for specific funding criteria and other details. Note that the Legislature provided only a limited amount of alternative water supply funding in FY 2008-09.

Surface Water Improvement & Management (SWIM) funds for the implementation of Water Management District plans and programs to improve, restore and manage priority surface waters within their boundaries. Funds may be made available to local governments. Each district maintains a separate list of priority waterbodies. Funding for the SWIM program is periodically made available through state appropriations; other funds come from district ad valorem revenues. Consult your local Water Management District for specific funding criteria and other details.

Beach funding to implement beach restoration and nourishment activities, project design and engineering studies, environmental studies and monitoring, inlet management planning, inlet sand transfer, dune restoration and protection activities, and other beach erosion prevention related activities consistent with the adopted Strategic Beach Management Plan. Projects typically are funded by DEP in partnership with local governments and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Typical annual funding is in the $25-30 million range, although additional legislative appropriations may be made in response to hurricanes and other storms that exacerbate coastal erosion.

The charts below graphically illustrate the magnitude of financial assistance the Divisions of Water and our partner Water Management Districts are able to make available every year. We encourage you to contact staff in the programs referenced above for more information.

Clicking on a thumbnail will load the full sized version of each chart below.