Grants Office June 2026 Update: Water Conservation and Wastewater Grant Programs
Thank you to Cisco and the Grants Office team for providing insights for this monthly series!
Funding for water and wastewater tends to be in the form of low-interest loans. Each state receives funds through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Clean Wate State Revolving Fund. Texas is not different. However, there are federal grants available. From the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, cities, counties, water and irrigation districts located in Texas can apply for any of 14 WaterSMART grants for water conservation projects.
The Environmental Protection Agency offers grants for water conservation as well as wastewater projects.
Water Conservation
According to the WaterSMART section of the Bureau of Reclamation website, Reclamation has funded 2,445 projects with $3.4 billion in WaterSMART funding since 2010. Only 17 Western states and territories are eligible for these grants. WaterSMART offers grants for planning purposes, studies, implementation activities, replacing aging infrastructure, and increasing environmental requirements. The goal is to preserve water and avoid any potential water conflicts.
In 2025, WaterSMART grants were on hold by the current administration, but application periods opened this spring for a handful of programs. Some had deadlines in May and June, while others will have deadlines through the summer and into the fall. General information about WaterSMART can be found here.
Here is an example of a current opportunity:
WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects
This program will accept applications until September 9, 2026. Funds are meant to benefit water resource management across areas such as water conservation and efficiency, water infrastructure improvements, and river and watershed restoration. Projects must include one or more of the following activities: water supply reliability, strategic water management, restoration, monitoring plans, invasive species treatment, fisheries management, and forest management. Funds can also be used for any project specific stakeholder engagement and outreach.
The maximum award will be $3 million with an applicant's cost share of at least 25% of the total project cost.
Here is an example of an upcoming opportunity:
Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program
This program funds the ability of medium and large-size public water systems to protect itself from natural hazards, extreme weather events, and cybersecurity threats. In 2025, applications were due on September 5, 2025. EPA expects to announce the round of winners this summer. There is expected to be another round of funding.
Visit here for up-to-date information
Wastewater
EPA is the agency that runs both the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Clean Wate State Revolving Fund. They also offer grant opportunities that provide education, training, implementation activities, feasibility studies, and planning for several pollution and environmental and public health issues related to ensure clean water. Most of these grants are allocated directly to states through measures such as the Nonpoint Source Grants Program, Water Pollution Control Grants Program, and the Public Water System Supervision Grant Program.
More information about these funds can be found here.