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Grants / Department of Agriculture / Rural Utilities Service

RDRUS-25-DWS: Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program

Closed Closed March 3, 2025 Opportunity RDRUS-25-DWS

This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Rural Utilities Service notices from 2025.

Rural Utilities Service offered grants to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 10 awards worth $5.0 million in total. Applications closed on March 3, 2025.

From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed December 26, 2024. Checked November 7, 2026.

Other notices with this title

Rural Utilities Service has posted this title under other numbers: earlier or later rounds, or the same competition for another area. Each has its own dates and may change its rules.

NoticePostedDeadlineStatus
RDRUS-26-DWS2July 28, 2026Closed September 30, 2026Closed
RDRUS-26-DWSOctober 1, 2025Closed December 1, 2025Closed
RDRUS-24-DWSApril 24, 2024Closed June 28, 2024Closed
RDRUS-23-DWSMay 10, 2023Closed June 10, 2023Closed
RDRUS-22-01-DWSJune 21, 2022Closed July 31, 2022Closed
RDRUS-21-01-DWSJune 4, 2021Closed July 19, 2021Closed

Key dates

PostedJanuary 1, 2025
DeadlineMarch 3, 2025
Archived by Grants.govJune 30, 2025

Who can apply

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

Information on eligibility is available at this website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-environmental-programs/rural-decentralized-water-systems-grant-program

Is this a realistic fit?

What the grant funds

The DWS Grant Program has been established to help individuals with low to moderate incomes finance certain costs of household water wells and individually owned decentralized wastewater systems that they own or will own. Grants are made to eligible nonprofit organizations to establish and maintain a revolving fund to provide loans and sub-grants to eligible individuals for individually owned water well systems and/or individually owned wastewater systems. Loan and/or sub-grant funds may be used by the individual to construct, refurbish, rehabilitate, or replace decentralized water well or wastewater systems. For water well systems, funds may be used up to the point of entry to a home, which is the junction where water enters into a home water delivery system after being pumped from a well. For wastewater systems, in lieu of the point of entry, the point of exit is substituted. The point of exit is the junction where wastewater exits out of the home wastewater collection system into the septic tank and drain field. DWS grant funds may be used by the nonprofit recipient to pay administrative expenses associated with providing DWS loans and/or sub-grants.

Category: Agriculture, Community Development, Environment, Health.

Who has won Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program grants before

From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program (10.862) awarded $16.3 million across 33 grant awards, an average of $493,595 per award.

Largest recipients, fiscal 2021 to 2025
RecipientStateAwardsAmount
Water Well Trust IncNorth Carolina5$8.7 million
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, Inc.Virginia3$1.7 million
Communities Unlimited IncArkansas5$1.4 million
Golden Triangle Resource Conservation & Development Area, IncGeorgia5$1.3 million
Seven Rivers Resource Conservation & Development Area IncGeorgia5$1.1 million

Top states: North Carolina ($8.7 million), Georgia ($2.3 million), Arkansas ($1.4 million), Virginia ($1.2 million), California ($1.1 million).

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.

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

Questions people ask

Is RDRUS-25-DWS still open?

No. It closed on March 3, 2025.

Who can apply for Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program?

Rural Utilities Service accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

What is the deadline for Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program?

Closed March 3, 2025. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

How much funding is available?

About $5.0 million in total across about 10 awards.

Who has won Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Water Well Trust Inc, Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, Inc., Communities Unlimited Inc. The program made 33 awards worth $16.3 million in that time.

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