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Proposition 68 Chapter 11.1

Groundwater Sustainability Funding Programs

Proposition 68 was passed by voters in June 2018. The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will administer $74 million from Chapter 11.1 for grants for treatment and remediation activities that prevent or reduce the contamination of groundwater that serves as a source of drinking water.

Chapter 11.1 of the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 (commonly referred to as Proposition 68 [Prop 68]) gave the State Water Board the authority to administer $74 million in grant funds for treatment and remediation activities that prevent or reduce the contamination of groundwater that serves as a source of drinking water. $16 million of the total amount is set-aside for projects serving severely disadvantaged communities (SDACs). The State Water Board adopted the Prop 68 Groundwater Treatment and Remediation Grant Program Guidelines (Prop 68 GW Guidelines) on August 20, 2019, to serve as the required project solicitation and evaluation guidelines for the State Water Board’s Groundwater Treatment and Remediation Grant Program.

Projects that have been funded under this program can be found in the List of Preliminary Awards. This program is closed to new applications, and the State Water Board currently has no plans for further project solicitations. For additional funding opportunities, please visit the next tab.

After funding two rounds of projects solicited under the Proposition 68 Groundwater Treatment and Remediation Grant Program Guidelines (Prop 68 GW Guidelines), approximately $29.5 million remains uncommitted, of which approximately $8.5 million is reserved for severely disadvantaged communities (SDACs). To utilize these remaining funds and to help meet the significant needs of disadvantaged communities (DACs) across California, the State Water Board adopted Resolution No. 2020-0028 (Resolution) on August 18, 2020. The Resolution delegates authority to the Deputy Director of the Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) to award these remaining funds to assist DAC drinking water systems that treat groundwater for direct potable use, without necessarily remediating the aquifer, and waives the Prop 68 GW Guidelines for these projects.

The State Water Board implemented the Proposition 68 Groundwater – Drinking Water (DW) Treatment Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Funding Program to distribute the uncommitted $29.5 million to small DAC and SDAC drinking water systems. The State Water Board adopted the Proposition 68 Groundwater – Drinking Water Treatment Operations and Maintenance Funding Guidelines (New Guidelines) on July 19, 2022. The New Guidelines establish the process and criteria for the administration of the uncommitted Prop 68 Chapter 11.1 funding. If any of the remaining Prop 68 Chapter 11.1 funds are unencumbered at the end of 2022, Resolution 2020-0028 authorizes the Deputy Director of DFA to utilize the funds to extend executed funding agreements for the O&M projects funded according to the Previous Prop 68 GW Guidelines, contingent upon budget authority.

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See the "Financial Assistance (Grants & Loans)" section.

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For further information, contact us at:

Email: gwquality.funding@waterboards.ca.gov

Subject Line: Prop 68 Groundwater Treatment and Remediation Grant Program -OR- Prop 68 Groundwater – DW Treatment O&M Funding Program

Phone: (800) 813-FUND (3863)