Starting in early June, local governments are invited to apply for a Council grant to implement stormwater management associated with a redevelopment project.
Shovel-ready projects will be eligible for grants of between $10,000 and $100,000. The Council has a total of $500,000 available.
“Our past stormwater management grants have been very popular,” said Judy Sventek, manager of the Water Resources section of the Council’s Environmental Services division. “They have helped produce innovative projects with multiple benefits. We expect this new round of grants – which for the first time focuses on redevelopment – to be very competitive as well.”
Eligible projects use best practices such as settling, filtration, infiltration and reuse. For example, an Eden Prairie fire station harvests rainwater off its roof for irrigation — saving 41,000 gallons of drinking water each year.
Proposed projects will be evaluated according to a variety of criteria:
- Includes effectiveness monitoring
- Drains to an impaired water or priority lake
- Has multiple benefits such as addressing groundwater, wastewater, drinking water supply or other water issues
- Seeks to remedy the shortage of housing for low and moderate-income residents
- Occurs in an area of concentrated poverty
- Clears and redevelops blighted area
- Is included in an approved watershed management plan or local water plan
- Leverages other funds
- Includes a long-term maintenance plan
Seven-county metro area cities, townships, watershed management organizations, watershed districts and soil and water conservation districts are invited to apply. The grants cannot be combined with other Council grants, for example, Livable Communities funding. Projects must be completed by Dec. 31, 2022.
The deadline for applications is July 15. Grantees will be notified by August 31.
Stormwater grant program applications