Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program
The Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant application period is closed. Applications are currently being reviewed.
Program Description
The Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program is a competitive, reimbursement grant program that funds projects that directly improve water quality or aquatic habitat, or protect a drinking water source. For details about the most recent round, view the WQIP Round 18 Program Overview (PDF).
Eligible Project Types & Required Match (2022)*
- Wastewater Treatment Improvement (high priority projects 25%, general projects 60%
- Nonagricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control (25%)
- Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection (25%)
- Salt Storage (50%)
- Aquatic Connectivity Restoration (25%)
- Marine District Habitat Restoration (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 WQIP Program Overview (PDF).
Eligible Applicants (2022)
- Municipalities* and Soil and Water Conservation Districts are eligible for all project types.
- Not-for-Profit Corporations are eligible for Aquatic Connectivity Restoration, Marine District Habitat Restoration, and Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection only.
*For the purpose of this grant opportunity, "municipality" means a local public authority or public benefit corporation, a county, city, town, village, school district, supervisory district, district corporation, improvement district within a county, city, town or village, or Indian nation or tribe recognized by the state or the United States with a reservation wholly or partly within the boundaries of New York State, or any combination thereof (Environmental Conservation Law §56-0101).
Grants Gateway Registration
All applicants must register in the NYS Grants Gateway to be considered eligible to accept this grant opportunity. All not for profits must register and prequalify in the NYS Grants Gateway to be eligible to apply for this grant. For more information, including user guides and tutorial videos on how to register and prequalify, visit the Grants Management website (leaves DEC website).
Application Resources
Nonpoint Source Pollutant Source Prioritization Table
| Waterbody | Watershed Plan | Pollutant of Concern | Primary Source | Secondary Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Creek Reservoir (Albany County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | Streambank Erosion |
| Bear Lake (Chautauqua County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Internal Loading | Septic Systems |
| Black River Basin (multiple counties) | Nine Element Plan | Nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) and Sediment | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | Septic Systems |
| Blind Sodus Bay (Wayne County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Buck Pond (Monroe County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | |
| Cayuga Lake (multiple counties) | HABs Action Plan/TMDL (Draft) | Nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | Septic Systems |
| Chautauqua Lake North (Chautauqua County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Internal Loading | Septic Systems |
| Chautauqua Lake South (Chautauqua County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Internal Loading | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Chesapeake Bay (multiple counties) | TMDL | Nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) and Sediment | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | Streambank Erosion |
| Conesus Lake (Livingston County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Internal Loading | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Cossayuna Lake (Washington County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Cranberry Pond (Monroe County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Internal Loading | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| East of Hudson (NYC Watershed) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | Streambank Erosion |
| Engleville Pond (Schoharie County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Internal Loading | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Findley Lake (Chautauqua County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Genesee River Basin (multiple counties) |
Nine Element Plan | Phosphorus and Sediment | Streambank Erosion | Septic Systems |
| Greenwood Lake (Orange County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Internal Loading | Septic Systems |
| Honeoye Lake (Ontario County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Internal Loading | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Java Lake (Wyoming County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Kinderhook Lake (Columbia County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Lake Agawam (Suffolk County) | HABs Action Plan | Nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) | Septic Systems - Nitrogen Internal Loading - Phosphorus |
Internal Loading - Nitrogen Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) - Phosphorus |
| Lake Carmel (Putnam County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Streambank Erosion | Septic Systems Internal Loading |
| Lake Champlain (multiple counties) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | |
| Lake George (Warren County) | HABs Action Plan | Nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) |
Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
Septic Systems |
| Lake Oscawana (Putnam County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Lake Salubria (Steuben County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Little Sodus Bay (Cayuga County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Long Island Sound | TMDL | Nitrogen | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Long Pond (Monroe County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Internal Loading | Septic Systems |
| Monhagen-Middletown Reservoir System watershed (Orange County) | HABs Action Plan | Nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | Septic Systems |
| Moon Lake (Jefferson County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Nassau County Waterbodies | Nine Element Plan (Draft) | Nitrogen | Septic Systems | Fertilizer |
| Onondaga Lake (Onondaga County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Areas |
| Owasco Lake (Cayuga County) | HABs Action Plan | Nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | Septic Systems |
| Palmer Lake (Putnam County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Peach Lake (Putnam & Westchester Counties) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Peconic Estuary | TMDL | Nitrogen | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Port Bay (Wayne County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Internal Loading | Septic Systems |
| Putnam Lake (Putnam County) | HABs Action Plan | Nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) | Septic Systems | Streambank Erosion |
| Silver Lake (Wyoming County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) Streambank Erosion |
| Skaneateles Lake (multiple counties) | HABs Action Plan | Nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) | Septic Systems | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) |
| Snyders Lake (Rensselaer County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Developed Land (Stormwater Runoff) | |
| Suffolk County | Nine Element Plan | Nitrogen | Septic Systems | Fertilizer |
| Summit Lake (Schoharie County) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Septic Systems | Developed Land |
| West of Hudson (NYC Watershed) | TMDL | Phosphorus | Streambank Erosion | Septic Systems |
More about Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) 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 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.
