Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program
Governor Cuomo Announces Water Quality Improvement Projects (WQIP) Grants
On December 18, 2018 Governor Cuomo announced over $103 million in grants is being awarded for 124 projects through DEC's Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grants program. The projects will improve water quality, reduce the potential for harmful algal blooms (HABs), and protect drinking water across the state.
The WQIP Round 15 Awards List (PDF, 701 KB) provides key information about each funded project.
WQIP grants are administered by DEC and made available through the Governor's Regional Economic Development Council Consolidated Funding Application, an annual competitive funding program.
Successful Applicant Requirements
Successful applicants will be required to sign a State of New York Master Grant Contract (MCG) within the Grants Gateway System (leaving DEC website) and will be required to comply with statewide, agency, and program terms and conditions and payment reporting requirements as identified in the MCG. A draft MCG for Round 15 (PDF, 4 MB) is available to view.
WQIP Program Overview
The Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program is a competitive, reimbursement grant program that funds projects that directly address documented water quality impairments. Applications are typically available each spring through the Consolidated Funding Application.
Visit the WQIP Document Archive to view Program Overviews and award announcements from previous rounds.
The Round 15 WQIP Program included the following project types and required match amounts:
- Municipal Wastewater Treatment (WWT) (high priority projects 25%, general projects 60%)
- Nonagricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control (NPS) (25%)
- Land Acquisition Projects for Source Water Protection (SWP) (25%)
- Salt Storage (50%)
- Aquatic Habitat Restoration (AHR) (25%)
- Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) (25%)
*Match is the percentage of the award amount grant recipients are required to provide as a local share. For more information about each category, including priorities, application requirements, and scoring criteria, view the Program Overview (PDF, 910 KB).
Eligible Applicants for Round 15
Municipalities, Municipal Corporations, Regulated traditional Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s), Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Not for Profit Corporations (only for land acquisition for source water protection or aquatic habitat restoration projects)
More about Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program:
- Regional Contacts for Water Quality Improvement Projects - Contact information for DEC regional offices for the Water Quality Improvement Projects grant program.
- WQIP Contract Process, Documents and Forms - Documents and forms and description of contract development process for the Water Quality Improvement Projects grant program.
- WQIP Document Archive - Information about previous rounds of the Water Quality Improvement Projects grant program.
- WQIP Land Acquisition Projects for Source Water Protection Toolkit - Toolkit for land acquisition projects for source water protection funded by the Water Quality Improvement Projects grant program.
