Source Water Protection Grants

The purpose of the Source Water Protection Grants program is to provide matching funds to public water supply systems for the development and implementation of a source water protection program to help prevent drinking water sources from becoming contaminated. These funds can be used to develop a Surface Water Intake Protection Program for systems utilizing surface water or to develop a Wellhead Protection Program for those systems that use groundwater sources. Eligible applicants include community and not-for-profit non-transient non-community water systems that are not federally owned and do not have outstanding fees. Applicants must demonstrate funds to cover grant assistance and local match, long-term commitment to the program, and establishment of a local source water protection team. Any element of source water protection may be eligible for funding, including wellhead delineation studies, abandoned well search and management programs, development of educational materials, passage of zoning language, emergency management training, and creation of partnership agreements. Applications are available annually on May 1 and must be submitted electronically through the Michigan Environmental Health and Drinking Water Information System (MiEHDWIS) or postmarked/delivered by June 15 annually. Applicants are ranked according to a points system.