MassDEP previews FY25 water grants and RFR timelines at online “Meet the Grants” workshop

Courtney Starling, a grant administrator with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, opened an online “Meet the Grants” workshop to brief applicants on how to apply for FY25 water‑related grants and to preview upcoming request‑for‑response (RFR) timelines.

MassDEP staff advised that organizations must register in the state procurement portal COMMBUYS to execute state contracts and listed standard application requirements — legal business name, legal address, email, PACS ID and, for federal grants, a SAM.gov Unique Entity ID. Starling emphasized following RFR instructions exactly, observing page limits and using the agency’s budget templates to improve reviewers’ ability to score proposals.

Judy Rondeau, outreach coordinator for MassDEP’s nonpoint source program, described three nonpoint grants. The state‑funded Water Quality Monitoring grant (coordinated by Dr. Bob Smith) has roughly $200,000 available, no match requirement and typical awards of $20,000–$70,000; Rondeau said the RFR should be published by the end of the summer. The federally funded Clean Water Act 604(b) planning grant (coordinated by Megan Selby) supports monitoring, pollutant‑load analysis and EPA nine‑element watershed plans; MassDEP closed a round in May with about $900,000 and expects the next round in spring 2025. The Section 319 nonpoint source implementation grant (coordinated by Malcolm Harper) funds BMP implementation and capacity building; Rondeau said the most recent round totaled about $3.1 million, typically includes a 40% match (which the state has at times waived), and may be offered on a two‑year cycle with the next RFP late in 2025.

Caroline Adamson reviewed stormwater and municipal grant opportunities. The MS4 grant (for activities that help municipalities meet MS4 permit requirements) is currently live; MassDEP staff said applications are due to the agency by 5 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2024 and written questions were due Aug. 16, 2024. Adamson also previewed the Natural Resource Nitrogen Sensitive Area (NRNSA) grant for Cape Cod municipalities and noted increased funding and an RFR to be released in the coming weeks.

MassDEP staff outlined Water Management Act grants for public water suppliers with WMA permits or registrations, which can fund planning and shovel‑ready construction and carry up to $1,000,000 in available funding. The agency also described an Ipswich River Basin water supply and PFAS program as contingent on funding approval for the coming state fiscal year.

On drinking water, Janine Bishop (drinking water program) described federal Emerging Contaminants in Smaller Disadvantaged Communities (ECSDC) funds (MassDEP reported awarding $38.2 million in fall 2023 and expecting $19.2 million more), a noncompetitive program that distributes invitations to systems judged most in need. Janine/Ginny Bishop also summarized a separate small/underserved/disadvantaged communities drinking water grant (about $500,000 available) that requires demonstration of small size, disadvantaged status and a history of MCL exceedances to qualify. The agency also promoted cybersecurity improvement grants for small systems, with awards ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 depending on population served and conditional on a recent cybersecurity assessment.

Staff pointed applicants to the Clean Water Trust and the State Revolving Fund (SRF) for larger design and construction needs, and recommended contacting SRF staff (Maria Pannad and Robin McNamara) for projects that will require loans or major construction financing. MassDEP reiterated that other state and federal programs (DCR, CZM, EPA, USDA, HUD, WIFIA and EEA‑administered programs) may also be relevant depending on project scope.

During an extended Q&A, an attendee identified as Mister Andrade urged that environmental justice (EJ) resources reach historically excluded neighborhoods and said lead‑service line replacement costs of “about $5,000–$6,000” pose a barrier for homeowners and renters. MassDEP staff described the eligibility criteria for ECSDC and small/disadvantaged grants and noted where programs are noncompetitive (invitations) versus competitive, but they did not assert that every affected neighborhood will automatically receive no‑cost replacements.

Other attendee questions sought guidance on neighborhood‑scale sewer replacement (a Methuen resident), culvert assessment grants, and whether municipalities or regional entities are eligible for certain monitoring grants. Staff recommended early conversations with SRF and asset‑management staff to scope larger neighborhood construction projects, noted DCR handles small culvert programs, and said nonprofit and tribal applicants are eligible for the water quality monitoring grant while municipalities and regional planning commissions may be better matched to 604(b) planning funds.

MassDEP closed by saying slides and a recording will be emailed and posted on the agency website, and that contact information for program staff and clickable links are embedded in the presentation. The agency also announced plans for future trainings and a fall nonpoint source symposium.

Next steps: applicants should register or confirm registration in COMMBUYS, review specific RFR eligibility and deadlines (for example, the MS4 RFR due Sept. 6, 2024), and contact named program staff for eligibility or application questions.