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Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program

The Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant application period is open through July 28, 2023. Apply using the Consolidated Funding Application (leaves DEC website).
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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, promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency, or protect a drinking water source.

2023 Applicant Information

For full program details, view the WQIP Round 19 Program Overview (PDF).

How to Apply

Applications are being accepted through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) (leaves DEC website) until 4:00 PM on July 28, 2023.

Funding Amount

A total of at least $75 million is available. See individual project types for maximum individual grant amounts.

Eligible Project Types & Required Match (2023)*

  • Wastewater Treatment Improvement (25%)
  • Nonagricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control (25%)
  • Vacuum Trucks in Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Areas (25%)
  • Land Acquisition for Source Water Protection (25%)
  • Salt Storage (high priority projects 25%, low priority projects 50%)
  • Dam Safety Repair/Rehabilitation (25%)
  • 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 (2023)

  • Municipalities* (including Indian Nations) are eligible for all project types
  • Soil and Water Conservation Districts are eligible for all project types except Dam Safety Repair/Rehabilitation
  • 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).

Questions

If you have questions regarding WQIP after reading this webpage and the WQIP Program Overview (PDF), email user.water@dec.ny.gov by July 14, 2023.

Application Resources

Project Type Resources
All project types
Wastewater treatment
Nonpoint source
Vacuum Trucks in Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Areas
Land acquisition for source water protection
Salt storage
Dam Safety Repair/Rehabilitation
Aquatic connectivity restoration
Marine District Habitat Restoration
Nonpoint Source Pollutant Source Prioritization Table
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
Seneca-Keuka Lakes Nine Element Plan Phosphorus Developed Lan (Stormwater Runoff) Septic Systems
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

Information for 2022 Grant Recipients

View the 2022 Round 18 WQIP Award List (PDF) to see the awarded projects in your county. For details about the last round of this funding opportunity, view the WQIP Round 18 Program Overview (PDF).

Successful Applicant Requirements

Successful applicants will be required to sign a State of New York Master Grant Contract (MCG) and will be required to comply with statewide, agency and program terms and conditions and payment reporting requirements as identified in the MCG.


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