A new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has recently been announced. Click the link below for additional information and to read the respective flyer.
Title: Rural Decentralized Water Systems Program
Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development – Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
Deadline: September 30, 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development – Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY 2026 Rural Decentralized Water Systems (DWS) Program, which provides competitive funding to support household water well and decentralized wastewater systems. Grant funds are awarded to qualified applicants to establish revolving funds that provide loans and sub-grants to individuals for the construction, refurbishment, rehabilitation, or replacement of individually owned household water well and wastewater systems. Individual loans may not exceed $15,000, may have terms of up to 20 years at a 1 percent annual interest rate, and up to 50 percent of awarded funds may be used for sub-grants. USDA anticipates making approximately 10 awards, with no specified minimum or maximum award amount.
Eligible applicants include private nonprofit organizations that meet the requirements of 7 CFR 1776.5. Non-Tribal applicants proposing to serve households on Tribal lands must also provide a Tribal Resolution of Support from the Tribe or Tribes with jurisdiction over those lands. An applicant contribution is required for revolving funds, although cost-share requirements do not apply to sub-grant awards. Applications are due September 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET through Grants.gov. Eligible and complete applications will be competitively evaluated based on the scoring criteria established in 7 CFR 1776.9 and the NOFO, with awards determined based on application scores and available funding.