Grants

Since 1999, the Board of Directors of the Authority has provided assistance to local governments for water supply and conservation projects. The criteria for possible funding of a local water supply and conservation project are as follows:

1. The project must be within the Withlacoochee Regional Water Supply Authority jurisdiction, which is comprised of Marion, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando Counties.
2. For FY 2024-25, the project must relate to water conservation.
3. The project must be approved by the submitting local government’s City Council or County Commission prior to submittal to the WRWSA. A resolution of support of the project and commitment of any co-funding by the local government should accompany the application. The Authority, in its sole discretion, will evaluate and approve/disapprove each project based on its merits.
4. The Authority Board of Directors will establish the amount of money available each year for the grant program. For Fiscal Year 2024-25, the Board has tentatively set a budgeted amount of $180,000. The number of approved applications and associated costs will determine the amount of funding for each project. Generally, the Authority funds 50% of a project budget up to the maximum set by the Board.
5. The local government applicant must provide a scope of services for the project that describes the objective of the project, the tasks involved in the project, the cost per task and the time frame for completion of the project.
6. If either the approved project tasks or the project time frames are changed, the project applicant must revise the scope of services as soon as they are known and receive approval of these revisions from the Authority. Changes to the internal budget of a project may be approved by the Executive Director up to a 10% change in budget items, as long as the overall cost of the project does not increase. Changes in excess of 10% must be approved by the Authority Board. The Authority Executive Director may also approve changes in the project time schedule as long as the contract completion date is not changed. All requests for changes in budget and schedule must be submitted in writing to the Executive Director. Any requests requiring Board approval will be scheduled for consideration at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. Requests for an extension of the contract completion date must be done prior to the expiration of the contract.
7. The application process will open on May 1 and close on July 1. The applications will be considered by the Board beginning at its July Board meeting. The grant application form and a draft contract are available for download below in both .pdf and .doc formats. Grant awards will be made no later than the September Board meeting. Grant contracts will be prepared by the Authority in consultation with the grant recipient.
8. All public supply utilities within the region and member governments are eligible to apply for the WRWSA grants.
9. Applicants with past or ongoing grant projects may apply for a new grant, provided that the past, or ongoing, grant is on schedule, unless extenuating circumstances warrant a special exception. Such exceptions would be entirely at the discretion of the Authority Board.
10. Having had a previous grant from the WRWSA will not diminish standing for ranking applications, but will be only one consideration for ranking applications, including past performance in implementing projects.
11. The WRWSA local grant program is structured whereby invoices may be submitted monthly or bi-monthly for reimbursement of 50% of the costs incurred, consistent with the approved grant contract and scope of services. WRWSA grant contracts will contain a provision stating that the WRWSA grant funds expended to-date must be refunded by the grant recipient if a project is abandoned before it is completed.