Small Community Drought Relief Program
Details
Purpose:
The purpose of the Small Community Drought Relief Program is to provide immediate and near-term financial and technical support to help small communities survive this and future droughts.
Description:
The Small Community Drought Relief Program (Program) was authorized by the Legislature pursuant to the Budget Act of 2021 as amended (Stats. 2022, ch. 44, § 25) and its Trailer Bill, (Wat. Code, § 13198 et seq.). The Trailer Bill authorized specified state agencies, defined as implementing agencies, subject to an appropriation for these purposes, to make grants and direct expenditures for interim or immediate relief in response to conditions arising from a drought scenario to address immediate impacts on human health and safety and on fish and wildlife resources and to provide water to persons or communities that lose or are threatened with the loss or contamination of water supplies.
The funding for this Program ($305 million) also includes $20 million for the tank program. The tank program intends to provide household water storage tanks and hauled water for California residents whose wells have gone dry due to the ongoing drought.
The small communities are those that are not supplied by an urban water suppliers as defined in California Water Code (Sec 10617). Urban water suppliers are those that provide drinking water with more than 3,000 connections or more than 3,000 acre-feet per year.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible Applicants:
- Nonprofit
- Public Agency
- Tribal Government
• Public agencies (e.g., Counties, cities)• Public utilities• Special districts (e.g., school districts, community service districts, irrigation districts, flood control districts, reclamation districts)• Colleges and universities• Mutual water companies• Nonprofit organizations1• Federally recognized Indian tribes• State Indian tribes listed on the Native American Heritage Commission's California Tribal Consultation List
Eligible Geographies:
Entire State of California
Important Dates
Funding Details
How to Apply
State agencies/departments recommend you read the full grant guidelines before applying.
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