Metropolitan Council approves $1.4M water-efficiency grant application process, opens applications March 13

The Metropolitan Council on March 11 approved the application process for the 2026–28 Water Efficiency Grant Program and authorized staff to advertise and solicit applications for a $1.4 million appropriation from the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment.

"We are going to be, with your permission, launching the application process for this next cycle of the program," said Jen Kostruski, who presented the program for Metropolitan Council staff. Kostruski said the program began in 2016 and that prior cycles have funded water-saving measures in dozens of communities, replacing thousands of toilets and dishwashers and yielding an estimated 260,000,000 gallons of water saved to date.

The council approved a number of program changes for the next cycle. Kostruski said the maximum community award cap will increase from $50,000 to $75,000 and that eligible measures have been expanded to include faucet aerators and accessories, flushing urinals and flushometer-valve toilets, commercial clothes washers and dishwashers, irrigation controllers and other outdoor irrigation measures, and municipal facility projects. A new municipal facility grant activity was added to encourage water savings in public buildings.

Kostruski described equity changes intended to reduce the administrative burden on local governments: residents who participate in qualifying assistance programs (for example, county assistance or SNAP) will be eligible for full-cost coverage under the low-income option. Staff also said they improved reporting forms and standardized how communities estimate water savings.

The $1.4 million appropriation will be passed through to participating municipalities; grants will range from $5,000 to $75,000 and (except for the low-income cost assistance option) generally require a 20% municipal match, with the council’s funds covering roughly 80% of eligible costs. Kostruski said awardees will implement projects between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2028. The planned application window is March 13–April 13, with grant decisions expected by May 1.

Council members praised the program and pressed staff on outreach, historical funding levels and whether municipal projects could crowd out residential awards. "Just a thumbs up," said Council Member Carter, endorsing the program’s eligibility criteria and its approach to serving residents already receiving assistance. Council Member Lilligren asked for a breakdown of past funding cycles; Kostruski said she would provide those numbers to the council.

On the question of municipal use, Kostruski said applications are expected to include both residential and municipal components and that staff reserve the right to work with applicants to "right-size" municipal requests so resident access is preserved.

The council voted to approve business item 20 26-10, and the chair announced that the motion carried. Staff will open the application portal and begin outreach to interested communities.