Well Told Grants

Grants / Department of the Interior / Bureau of Reclamation

R21AS00429: WaterSMART: Title XVI WIIN Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects

Closed Closed April 23, 2021 Opportunity R21AS00429

This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects (R26AS00079). Status: Closes August 26, 2027 (292 days left). It is in our archive of Bureau of Reclamation notices from 2021.

Bureau of Reclamation offered grants of up to $20.0 million to the applicants described in the notice. Applications closed on April 23, 2021.

From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed March 24, 2021. Checked November 7, 2026.

Key dates

PostedMarch 24, 2021
DeadlineApril 23, 2021
Archived by Grants.govAugust 27, 2021

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.

Sponsors of projects eligible for funding under section 4009(c) of the WIIN Act, P.L. 114-322. Eligible entities under section 4009(c) include sponsors of Projects that have submitted a Title XVI Feasibility Study to Reclamation for review and the study has been found to meet all of the requirements of Reclamation Manual WTR 11-01: Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program Feasibility Study Review Process by the date that this NOFO is posted. If a feasibility study has been reviewed by Reclamation and found to meet the requirements of WTR 11-01, but the review findings have not yet been transmitted to Congress, Reclamation will transmit those findings to Congress either before project selections are made or concurrently with project selections. Eligibility does not entitle an applicant to any future Federal funding or create a new project authorization.

Is this a realistic fit?

What the grant funds

Through the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program (Title XVI), authorized by Public Law (P.L.) 102-575 in 1992, Reclamation provides financial and technical assistance to local water agencies for the planning, design, and construction of water reclamation and reuse projects. Water recycling is a tool in stretching the limited water supplies in the Western United States. Title XVI projects develop and supplement urban and irrigation water supplies through water reuse—thereby improving efficiency, providing flexibility during water shortages, and diversifying the water supply. These projects provide growing communities with new sources of clean water which increases water management flexibility and makes our water supply more reliable. Title XVI water projects are an important part of the WaterSMART Program. For further information on the WaterSMART Program, see https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/. The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN), P.L. 114-322, was enacted in December 2016 to address water resources infrastructure that is critical to the Nation’s economic growth, health, and competitiveness. Section 4009(c) of Subtitle J of WIIN includes amendments to Reclamation’s Title XVI Program. Prior to the enactment of WIIN, funding for water recycling project construction could only be provided for congressionally authorized Title XVI projects. The WIIN amendments allow new water recycling projects to be eligible to receive Federal funding. The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) is to invite sponsors of projects eligible under section 4009(c) of the WIIN Act (Projects) to request cost-shared funding for planning, design, and/or construction of those Projects. An NOFO for congressionally authorized Title XVI projects is being released separately.

Category: Natural Resources.

Who has won WaterSMART Water Recycling grants before

From fiscal 2021 to 2025, WaterSMART Water Recycling (15.504) awarded $942 million across 90 grant awards, an average of $10.5 million per award.

Largest recipients, fiscal 2021 to 2025
RecipientStateAwardsAmount
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern CaliforniaCalifornia2$130 million
City of San BuenaventuraCalifornia2$106 million
Water Replenishment District of Southern CaliforniaCalifornia3$47.9 million
City of OceansideCalifornia3$31.2 million
Eastern Municipal Water DistrictCalifornia1$30.0 million

Top states: California ($756 million), Utah ($41.6 million), Hawaii ($38.2 million), Texas ($36.9 million), Nevada ($31.0 million).

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, R26AS00079, which is open now.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.

Questions people ask

Is R21AS00429 still open?

No. It closed on April 23, 2021. A newer notice is open: R26AS00079, closes August 26, 2027 (292 days left).

Who can apply for WaterSMART: Title XVI WIIN Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects?

Bureau of Reclamation accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

What is the deadline for WaterSMART: Title XVI WIIN Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects?

Closed April 23, 2021. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

How much funding is available?

Awards of up to $20.0 million each.

Who has won WaterSMART Water Recycling grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, City of San Buenaventura, Water Replenishment District of Southern California. The program made 90 awards worth $942 million in that time.

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