Replacing, Removing, or Upgrading Underground Storage Tanks Grant
🏛 State Water Resources Control Board (California)
✓ Free, no account · Source: California Grants Portal · Last verified Jul 10, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for property owners cleaning up unauthorized petroleum releases from underground storage tanks (USTs). Only current property owners may apply. The program funds site characterization, soil and groundwater investigations, corrective action plans, UST removal, and cleanup activities up to 500 cubic yards of soil excavation. Work must comply with California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Chapter 16, Article 11. Funding is available in California only.
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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
- Property ownership documentation
- Preliminary site assessment report
- Soil and groundwater investigation results
- Corrective action plan (for cleanup phase)
- Regulatory agency approval letters
- Detailed scope of work and budget
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% |
Source: California Grants Portal
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply?
Current property owners with unauthorized petroleum releases from USTs. Previous owners and non-owners cannot apply.
What activities does the grant fund?
Site assessments, soil/groundwater investigations, corrective action plans, UST removal, and cleanup implementation. Soil excavation is limited to 500 cubic yards.
Must I have a corrective action plan approved before applying?
You can apply for cleanup funding before approval, but the State Water Board cannot award until the plan is complete and approved.
Is there a cost-sharing requirement?
No. The program does not require matching funds or cost-sharing from applicants.
When is the application deadline?
This is a rolling program with no set deadline. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Confirm you are the current property owner. Only owners are eligible; this is strictly enforced.
- Ensure your site involves unauthorized petroleum release from a UST. Non-UST contamination is not eligible.
- Obtain regulatory approval of your corrective action plan before requesting cleanup funding, even if you apply earlier for assessment funding.
- Document all site investigation and assessment work thoroughly. The State Water Board requires compliance with specific California regulations.
- Plan excavation carefully. The 500 cubic yard limit for soil removal is a hard cap on eligible activities.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applying as non-owner. Only current property owners qualify. Mixing UST and non-UST contamination claims. UST releases only are funded. Requesting cleanup funding without approved corrective action plan. Assessment work can proceed earlier, but cleanup requires prior approval.
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