Replacing, Removing, or Upgrading Underground Storage Tanks Grant
🏛 State Water Resources Control Board (California)
✓ Free, no account · Source: California Grants Portal · Last verified Sep 13, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for California charter schools seeking to build new facilities or rehabilitate existing school facilities. Eligible applicants include chartered public schools operating or planning to operate in California. The program provides hybrid financing with 50% grant and 50% loan components. Activities supported include new construction, permanent facility development, and rehabilitation of existing school structures for charter school use.
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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
- Charter authorization documentation
- Detailed facility construction or rehabilitation plans
- Project cost estimates and budget
- Financial soundness certification
- School district facility coordination documents (if applicable)
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 CSFP funding?
California charter schools are eligible. Schools must be chartered and operating or planning to operate in the state.
What is the grant structure?
Funding splits 50% grant and 50% loan. The grant portion does not require repayment, but the loan must be repaid.
What types of projects are funded?
New permanent school facility construction and rehabilitation of existing school facilities for charter school use are both eligible.
Is there a deadline?
The program operates on a rolling basis. Check with the California School Finance Authority for current application windows.
How much funding is available?
The total program pool is $1.4 billion across all eligible charter schools statewide over the funding period.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Document your school's charter status and authorization before applying. Lenders will verify legal standing.
- Develop detailed facility plans and cost estimates. Financial soundness review depends on realistic project budgeting.
- Engage with the California School Finance Authority early. They can clarify timeline and financial requirements for your project.
- Prepare for the loan component. Half your funding is a loan requiring repayment from school operations.
- Build financial reserves to support loan repayment. Charter schools must demonstrate fiscal capacity.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Underestimating total project costs and loan repayment obligations. Failing to obtain charter authorization or clear legal status before application. Submitting incomplete or unrealistic facility plans that don't pass financial soundness review.
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