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 10,000 people and per capita incomes less than the state average as of the most recent decennial Census. Local matching funds are required. The amount of available funding depends on the repayment stream from SRF loans and additional legislative appropriations, if any.

• Federal section 319(h) grants for stormwater retrofit projects and stormwater best management practices in priority watersheds. Local matching funds or in-kind contributions are required. Approximately $7-8 million is available each year depending on federal appropriations.

• Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) funding primarily for stormwater retrofit projects, is 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 varies depending on legislative appropriations and may not be available every year.

• Legislative water project appropriations (member projects or "Community Budget Issue Requests (CBIR)") for wastewater, stormwater, surface water improvement, drinking water, and other water-related projects. The Florida Legislature sometimes implements this funding process during its annual legislative session. The legislature may coordinate review of projects with DEP. Even when the Legislature does not announce a formal process, it may include individual water projects in the budget. You are advised to contact your local legislative delegation if you are interested in legislative budget support. DEP does not have any additional information on legislative funding in 2013.  

• Alternative water supply funding for the construction of 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. Your regional Water Management District may have funds available for this purpose, so consult that office for funding criteria and other details. While the Legislature has supported these projects in the past, alternative water supply funding at the state level has not been appropriated since 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 may be made available through state appropriations, although no such appropriations have been forthcoming in recent years. Other funding may come from district ad valorem revenues, so consult your Water Management District for 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. Annual funding varies from year to year. The legislature may consider additional legislative appropriations in response to hurricanes and other storms that exacerbate coastal erosion.