Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that nearly $460,000 in grants were awarded through the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program to small public water systems in Wisconsin — such as schools, day cares, apartment complexes, and more — with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or manganese contamination.
The grant program provides funds for other-than-municipal community and nonprofit, nontransient, non-community water systems to address PFAS or manganese contamination by drilling new wells, connecting to existing public water systems, or installing treatment to receive a safer water supply. The first application cycle closed July 31. To date, the DNR has awarded nearly $460,000 for the first cycle and is expecting to award a total of over $2.3 million once all applications are processed. A list of projects that received funding in the first part of the Round 1 grant cycle is available here.
The second grant cycle for the grant program opens Oct. 1. Other-than-municipal community and nonprofit, nontransient, non-community public water systems with eligible levels of PFAS or manganese may apply to the program.
The DNR expects to issue $5 million in grants to small public water systems in the second grant cycle. The application period closes June 30, 2025. Interested applicants may submit questions via email. The next grant cycle will offer funding to systems with PFAS levels at half a federal maximum contaminant level or greater.
To learn more about the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program and how to apply, visit the program’s webpage.
