Proposition 1 Groundwater Grant Program

Proposition 1 was passed by voters in November 2014 and provided $900 million for a Groundwater Sustainability Program (Assembly Bill 1471, Chapter 10). The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will administer $670 million to prevent and cleanup contamination of groundwater that serves (or has served) as a source of drinking water. The funds are available as grants.

The State Water Board adopted the Proposition 1 Groundwater Grant Program Guidelines (Guidelines) on May 18, 2016, and adopted amendments to the Guidelines on December 19, 2017 and February 2, 2021.

Timeline

*Dates are approximate. Please sign-up for email updates to stay informed.

**Generally, Proposition 1 Groundwater Grant Program (Prop 1 GWGP) eligible projects must contribute to cleanup or prevention of contamination in the aquifer. However, Sections 4.5 and 4.6 of the Guidelines also allow for Prop 1 GWGP funds to be utilized for certain drinking water and wastewater projects serving disadvantaged communities (DAC). Please note that these projects generally should not apply through the Prop 1 GWGP solicitation process, which is geared toward cleanup projects. Instead, eligible DAC drinking water and wastewater projects are funded on a continuous basis, consistent with existing processes for those projects (see the Office of Sustainable Water Solutions webpage for more info about applying for funding through the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Fund Programs). Division of Financial Assistance staff consult internally to direct Prop 1 GWGP funds to eligible DAC drinking water and wastewater projects.

Applying for Prop 1 Groundwater Grant Program (Round 3)

How to Apply

Applications are submitted using the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST). The solicitation in FAAST consists of multiple tabs with text boxes, pull down menus, and multiple-choice selections. Applicants will also provide additional information by uploading documents on the Attachments tab.

Eligible applicants should follow the steps below to submit a Concept Proposal:

1. Review the Helpful Hints and watch the guidance video (see above in “What’s New”)
2. Navigate to FAAST website: http://faast.waterboards.ca.gov/
3. Create user account (if this is the first time using FAAST)
4. Log on by entering your username and password
5. Click on Start a New Application
6. Read and check boxes for the System Disclosures
7. Select appropriate applicant organization
8. Choose the Proposition 1 Groundwater Grant Program – Concept Proposal (Round 3) from the drop down
9. Fill out requested information on each tab
10. Click on the Attachments tab and upload the attachments provided by the DFA Staff as appropriate:
11. Submit application

The following FAAST resources are available online: Frequently Asked Questions and User Manual.

If you need assistance, please contact the FAAST Help Desk between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, at 1-866-434-1083 or FAAST_ADMIN@waterboards.ca.gov. All emails should include the subject line "Proposition 1 Groundwater Grant Program – Concept Proposal (Round 3)" and the FAAST Proposal Identification Number (PIN) if known.

Technical Assistance

Technical Assistance (TA) is available to help develop and implement eligible projects that benefit disadvantaged communities.  This may include but is not limited to: application assistance, income surveys, outreach, legal assistance, and engineering.  More information is available on the TA Funding Program webpage.

If you are interested in Technical Assistance for this Groundwater Program, please email program staff at the email address listed below.