WaterSMART: Desalination Construction Projects
🏛 Bureau of Reclamation
Can you apply?
This grant is for water agencies, municipalities, tribal nations, and other entities seeking funding to construct desalination facilities that treat nonpotable groundwater or surface water into usable water supplies. Applicants must demonstrate that desalination projects will yield water supplies in the western United States, particularly in water-scarce regions. Funding supports planning, design, and construction of desalination infrastructure that helps address water shortages and benefits water management across state lines or within Reclamation service areas. The program prioritizes projects that provide new water supplies, improve water use efficiency, and support drought resilience in the context of declining water availability in the Colorado River Basin and other western watersheds.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
This grant is for water agencies, municipalities, tribal nations, and other entities seeking funding to construct desalination facilities that treat nonpotable groundwater or surface water into usable water supplies. Applicants must demonstrate that desalination projects will yield water supplies in the western United States, particularly in water-scarce regions. Funding supports planning, design, and construction of desalination infrastructure that helps address water shortages and benefits water management across state lines or within Reclamation service areas. The program prioritizes projects that provide new water supplies, improve water use efficiency, and support drought resilience in the context of declining water availability in the Colorado River Basin and other western watersheds.
Program description
Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with States, Tribes, and other entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply and hydropower reliability. The WaterSMART Program demonstrably advances Trump administration priorities, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14154 (January 20, 2025): Unleashing American Energy (E.O.14154) and Secretarial Order 3418, and aligns with other priorities and requirements, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14332 (August 7, 2025): Improving Oversight in Federal Grantmaking (E.O. 14332). The WaterSMART: Desalination Construction Projects NOFO invites eligible applicants to submit proposals for the planning, design, and/or construction of facilities to desalinate seawater or brackish surface water or groundwater. By providing growing communities with new sources of local water supply, desalination projects diversify the water supply portfolio, increase water management flexibility during times of shortage, and make the water supply more reliable.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Details
This grant is for water agencies, municipalities, tribal nations, and other entities seeking funding to construct desalination facilities that treat nonpotable groundwater or surface water into usable water supplies. Applicants must demonstrate that desalination projects will yield water supplies in the western United States, particularly in water-scarce regions. Funding supports planning, design, and construction of desalination infrastructure that helps address water shortages and benefits water management across state lines or within Reclamation service areas. The program prioritizes projects that provide new water supplies, improve water use efficiency, and support drought resilience in the context of declining water availability in the Colorado River Basin and other western watersheds.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project narrative describing technical approach, water supply benefits, and timeline
- Engineering reports and preliminary design documents
- Environmental assessment and NEPA compliance documentation
- Letters of support from state, tribal, municipal, or district partners
- Detailed budget with cost-share commitments
- Evidence of local funding or cost-sharing contributions
- Operations and maintenance plan and financial sustainability analysis
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Reclamation
- 📧 bor-sha-fafoa@usbr.gov
- 📞 tbd
Funding track record
No recent recipient data available for CFDA 15.591 in our database.
This can happen for newer programs, programs that use non-standard award types (loans, direct payments, fellowships), or those funded through sub-agencies under different codes.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 15.591). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $57,500,000 | |
| 2025 | $74,900,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $79,918,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for WaterSMART Desalination Construction funding?
Water agencies, municipalities, irrigation districts, tribal nations, state water authorities, and other entities with legal authority to manage water resources are eligible. Applicants must be able to demonstrate project viability and ability to construct and operate desalination facilities.
What is the typical project funding range for this grant?
Desalination construction grants typically range from several hundred thousand to several million dollars depending on project scale, location, and construction complexity. Consult the specific Notice of Funding Availability for current fiscal year funding levels and project caps.
What types of desalination projects are supported?
Projects treating nonpotable groundwater, brackish water, or surface water into potable or usable supplies are eligible. This includes facilities addressing water shortages in the West, particularly those enhancing water supply resilience and reducing reliance on overallocated water sources like the Colorado River.
What is the typical application deadline and how competitive is this funding?
WaterSMART programs are typically very competitive, with deadline dates set annually (this cycle opens May 2026 with August 2027 deadline). Strong applications emphasize environmental benefits, partnership support, local cost-sharing, and long-term operational sustainability.
What documents do I need to submit?
Standard federal requirements include SF-424 application form, detailed project narrative, engineering reports, environmental compliance documentation, letters of support, budget justification, and evidence of local funding or cost-share commitments.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize water supply benefits and drought resilience: clearly quantify how your desalination project creates new, reliable water supplies and reduces vulnerability to prolonged drought or water scarcity.
- Secure strong local cost-sharing and partnerships: federal funding is competitive, and projects with committed local funding, state support, and tribal or municipal partnerships score significantly higher.
- Provide detailed engineering and feasibility analysis: invest in preliminary designs, hydrologic studies, and environmental assessments to demonstrate technical viability and realistic construction timelines.
- Address brine and environmental management: desalination generates concentrated brine; clearly explain how you'll manage byproducts responsibly and comply with state and federal environmental regulations.
- Connect to regional water challenges and Reclamation priorities: frame your project within the context of Colorado River shortages, overallocation, or regional drought, showing alignment with Reclamation's strategic goals around water sustainability in the West.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications often fail because they lack detailed engineering feasibility studies or underestimate the complexity of permitting and environmental compliance for desalination discharge. Additionally, many proposals fall short by failing to demonstrate adequate local cost-sharing, committed partnerships, or a realistic long-term operations and maintenance plan that shows the facility can sustain itself financially.
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