Replacing, Removing, or Upgrading Underground Storage Tanks Grant
🏛 State Water Resources Control Board (California)
✓ Free, no account · Source: California Grants Portal · Last verified Nov 1, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for petroleum UST owners and operators in California who need financial assistance for cleanup costs. Small businesses and individuals with leaking underground storage tanks may apply. The fund reimburses expenses associated with meeting federal and state financial responsibility requirements. Geographic scope is limited to California.
Applicants must own or operate a petroleum underground storage tank. The tank must require cleanup due to an unauthorized release. Applicants must demonstrate financial need for reimbursement assistance.
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Program description
Replacing, Removing, or Upgrading Underground Storage Tanks (RUST) grants are available to assist small business underground storage tank (UST) owners and operators in financing up to 100 percent of the costs necessary to upgrade, remove, or replace project tanks to comply with the requirements of Health and Safety Code section 25284.1, 25292.05, 25292.4, 25292.5, or 41954. Please note that removal-only projects are now eligible for RUST grants. Grants are available for between $3,000 and $70,000 to eligible UST owners/operators. An additional $140,000 in RUST grant moneys above the $70,000 maximum is available for remote public fueling stations for the purpose of removing and replacing a single-walled UST. (See Health and Safety Code § 25299.107(e) for more information.) Eligibility Requirements Grant applicants must be a UST owner and/or operator and meet all of the following requirements: • The applicant is a small business that employs fewer than 20 full-time and part-time employees, is independently owned and operated, and is not dominant in its field of operation; • The grant applicant’s principal office and its officers must be domiciled in California; • The facility where the project tank is located was legally in business retailing gasoline after January 1, 1999. • All of the tanks owned and operated by the grant applicant are subject to compliance with Health and Safety Code chapter 6.7 and implementing regulations; • The facility where the subject tank is located has sold, at retail, less than 900,000 gallons of gasoline annually for each of the two years preceding the submission of the grant application; (Gallonage is based upon taxable sales figures provided to the State Board of Equalization (BOE) on the grant applicant’s BOE 401 GS including Schedule G.) • The grant applicant meets either of the following: The grant applicant is in compliance with Health and Safety Code sections 41954 and 25290.1, 25290.2, 25291, or subdivisions (d) and (e) of section 25292; (The facility must provide a current UST permit, a current Permit to Operate, and proof of EVR compliance as evidence of compliance with the permit compliance requirements.) or Revised 1/2020 The grant applicant meets the requirements for a waiver from the RUST grant permit compliance requirements. (The project is for removal-only and the grant applicant does not qualify for a RUST loan.) This is not a reimbursement program. Work cannot begin until you have an agreement executed by the State Water Board.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- Application form or letter of request
- Documentation of UST ownership or operation
- Evidence of unauthorized release
- Itemized cleanup expense receipts and invoices
- Proof of compliance with state notification requirements
Program contact
- 📧 RUST@waterboards.ca.gov
- 📞 1-916-341-5765
Funding track record
Past applications & awards under this program (California Grants Portal) — how competitive it is.
By fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Applications | Awarded | Award rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 40 | — | 0% |
| 2022-2023 | 24 | 24 | 100% |
| 2023-2024 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
| 2024-2025 | 18 | 18 | 100% |
| 2020-2021 | 56 | 7 | 13% |
| 2025-2026 | 34 | 10 | 29% |
Source: California Grants Portal
FAQ
Who can apply for this fund?
Petroleum UST owners and operators, including small businesses and individuals. You must have a leaking UST requiring cleanup.
What does the fund reimburse?
Cleanup expenses related to unauthorized releases from petroleum USTs. This includes costs to meet federal and state financial responsibility requirements.
Is there a deadline?
The program operates on a rolling basis with no specified deadline. Applications are reviewed and processed as received.
How much can I get?
Awards up to $1,000,000 are available, though specific amounts depend on cleanup costs and fund availability.
Is cost-sharing required?
No cost-sharing is required. The fund covers eligible cleanup expenses.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Document all cleanup expenses carefully with receipts and invoices to support your reimbursement request.
- Work with a qualified environmental contractor who understands California's UST cleanup requirements.
- Submit applications early in the funding cycle to ensure availability of grant funds.
- Clearly describe the unauthorized release and its scope in your application materials.
- Keep detailed records of compliance efforts with federal and state financial responsibility regulations.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applicants submit incomplete expense documentation or fail to show the release was unauthorized. Applications lack clear evidence of financial hardship or inability to pay for cleanup. Reimbursement requests exceed actual documented costs or include ineligible expenses.
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