A: Water Resources staff will not review any applications until after the May 15, 2022 deadline. Then there will be a process to evaluate each application and conduct any investigation meetings needed.

Reports will be prepared and the Board of Water Resources (Board) will consider the first round of applications at their August 4, 2022 meeting. After awards are made, contracts will be prepared, and funds should be available beginning in September of 2022.

A: Grants awarded in 2022 and 2023 will be 70% of the applicant’s project costs (project total minus non-ARPA grants), as long as funds are available. Secondary water suppliers with 7,000 connections or less may receive up to $5,000,000. Suppliers with more than 7,000 connections may receive up to $10,000,000.

A: Once there is a grant contract in place (between the Board and applicant), grant funds will be provided upon receipt of any bills and/or invoices. Funds will not be provided before the project begins, but the applicant will also not have to wait until it’s completed.

Grant funds will be available as expenses are incurred and reimbursement requests are submitted. For instance, if the applicant receives a bill for $10,000 to purchase meters, and has a 70% grant from the Board, applicant will receive a check in the amount of $7,000 and will be responsible to pay the bill in full.

A: Yes, we expect to have additional application periods in the future (the next one is expected to be June 1 - July 15, 2022). As long as there are still ARPA funds available for secondary meters, we will post the additional application periods to our website.

A: No, WaterSMART grants or other grants that have been provided specifically for your secondary meter project cannot be used to account for your 30%. However, you can still request grant funds for your project.

The Board can provide 70% of any non-grant* portion of your project costs. (*If you have your own ARPA funds that your city or district has provided for use in this project, those funds can be considered as part/all of your 30% share and will not reduce the grant amount provided by the Board.)

A: That depends on the timing of your project, and there are a couple options provided for in HB242.

If your project was constructed on or after March 3, 2021, it is considered a current project to satisfy the requirements of HB242 and you are eligible for grant funds. Please complete and submit an application.

If your project was constructed before March 3, 2021, and you are not requesting grant funds for a current project, you may be able to receive up to $2,000,000.

However, the Board must adopt rules for these grant funds (and that will be done after considering current grant applications). Those funds requested must be used for the purpose of another water conservation project.

A: We do not recommend any particular meter(s). See the "Secondary Meter Provider" tab for a list of known meter providers/manufacturers.

Please note that if you are receiving grant funds, the meters you install must allow for data communication between the meter and other devices designed to manage the use of secondary water. This will allow the supplier to provide the necessary education to its users as stated in HB242.