Opportunity Information: Apply for RDRUS 23 DWS
The Rural Decentralized Water System (DWS) Grant Program is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Utilities Service, designed to expand access to safe and reliable household water and wastewater services in rural areas for people with low to moderate incomes. Rather than providing direct construction grants to individual homeowners, the program funds eligible organizations so they can set up and operate a revolving loan and sub-grant fund. That revolving structure is central to the program: grant dollars are used to establish and maintain a pool of funding that can be lent out or awarded as sub-grants, and as loans are repaid, the money can be reused to help additional households over time.
The core purpose is to help eligible individual households finance costs associated with individually owned water well systems and individually owned decentralized wastewater systems (commonly septic systems) that the homeowner owns or will own. With support from the revolving fund, households may construct, refurbish, rehabilitate, or replace these systems. The program draws a clear boundary on what part of the system is covered. For a private well, assistance can cover work up to the point of entry, meaning the junction where water enters the home water delivery system after being pumped from the well. For wastewater systems, the comparable boundary is the point of exit, meaning the junction where wastewater leaves the home plumbing and enters the septic tank and drain field. In practical terms, this focuses funding on the privately owned, on-site components that deliver potable water to the home and manage wastewater leaving the home, rather than broader community-scale utilities.
Grant recipients are also allowed to use funds for administrative expenses that are tied to operating the program, specifically the costs of providing and managing the DWS loans and sub-grants. This recognizes that underwriting, outreach, compliance, loan servicing, and program management are necessary for the revolving fund to function effectively and reach eligible rural households.
This opportunity is listed under CFDA number 10.862 and falls within the activity areas of agriculture, community development, environment, and health, reflecting its role in basic rural infrastructure and public health protection. The funding opportunity title is "Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program" with funding opportunity number RDRUS 23 DWS. It was created on May 10, 2023, with an original closing date of June 10, 2023. The agency anticipated making about 10 awards. The posted award ceiling is listed as 0, which typically signals that applicants should rely on the full notice for any practical limits or that amounts may vary based on available appropriations and program decisions rather than a fixed maximum shown in the summary record. Eligibility is broadly labeled as "Others," with the expectation that applicants consult the official eligibility section in the full announcement for the specific types of entities that can apply to run the revolving fund.Apply for RDRUS 23 DWS
- The Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service in the agriculture, community development, environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.862.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 10, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 10, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (RDRUS 23 DWS) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Revolving Fund Program Apply for RDRUS 23 RFP Funding Number: RDRUS 23 RFP Agency: Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service Category: Agriculture, Community Development, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Revolving Fund Program Apply for RDRUS 24 RFP Funding Number: RDRUS 24 RFP Agency: Rural Utilities Service Category: Agriculture, Community Development, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program Apply for RDRUS 24 DWS Funding Number: RDRUS 24 DWS Agency: Rural Utilities Service Category: Agriculture, Community Development, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Rural Decentralized Water System Grant Program Apply for RDRUS 25 DWS Funding Number: RDRUS 25 DWS Agency: Rural Utilities Service Category: Agriculture, Community Development, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Revolving Fund Program Apply for RDRUS 25 RFP Funding Number: RDRUS 25 RFP Agency: Rural Utilities Service Category: Agriculture, Community Development, Environment, Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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