Federal grant programs / Department of the Interior

Water Conservation Field Services (WCFS) (15.530)

Also known as Water Conservation Field Services Program (WCFSP)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$2.5 million
• Grant awards48
• Typical award$50,000
• Awarded in FY 2025$455,257
• Size rank1,728 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceCooperative agreements (discretionary grants)

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $269,990 in fiscal 2021 to $455,257 in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 1728th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 89% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 11 states and territories.

What the program funds

The goal of the Water Conservation Field Services Program (WCFSP) is to proactively encourage water conservation and water use efficiency in the operations of water projects. The WCFSP is designed to assist water users in water management planning and to make more efficient use of existing water supplies. The WCFSP is managed by each of Reclamation’s Regional Offices to address Reclamation-wide water conservation priorities and to meet local goals.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

States, tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, or local authorities whose members include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority. Applicants must be located in the Western United States or United States Territories, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico.

What the money can and cannot pay for

For all recipients, funding under the Water Conservation Filed Services Program will be provided for the developing or updating water conservation and management plans, designing water management improvements, identifying water management improvements through System Optimization Reviews, and improving the understanding of water conservation technologies through demonstration activities. Financial assistance is limited to $100,000 or less, per award, per year. For further information, please contact the regional coordinator listed at https://www.usbr.gov/waterconservation/ .For further information, please contact the regional office. Each Notice of Funding Opportunity offered through the Water Conservation Field Services Program includes specific information about ineligible activities.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. 50% minimum cost-share. Recipients must cost-share at least 50% of the total project cost. The Federal share of the cost of a project or activity carried out under the WCFSP shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the project or activity. Costs of operation, maintenance, repair and rehabilitation of projects funded under the authority of this program are the responsibility of the recipient.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

Application deadlines are listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunities and vary from year to year and Region to Region. Contact a program coordinator https://www.usbr.gov/waterconservation for specific deadlines.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Range $5000 - $100,000 Average $50,000

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: Reclamation provided funding to a municipal water district for water conservation planning to best manage and conserve water in the Commercial, Industrial, & Institutional (CII) sector, a widely variable water use class that has historically been difficult to target. Retail water agencies and selected consultants will expand upon the first phase of the project to create new customized best management practices (BMP) implementation plans for at least six additional county retailers based on their specific needs and water conservation goals to increase water efficiency for CII water users. Additionally, CII customer accounts will also be classified in a standardized system. This allows water suppliers to best understand their CII customer base, what types of customers they serve and in what quantity, what sectors are top water users and identify top water users across various categories and is a key step to lay the groundwork for the BMP plans to be implemented effectively.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

State and local governments received 63% of the money, small businesses 20% and nonprofits 12%.

By state

2 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are Arizona and California.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.