Secure Funding for Water Efficiency Projects

Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with states, tribes, and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through investments in existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts. Working together with our stakeholders, WaterSMART supports the Department of the Interior’s priorities, including: • Creating a conservation stewardship legacy • Utilizing our natural resources • Restoring trust with local communities • Striking a regulatory balance • Modernizing our infrastructure Reclamation established the Water Conservation Field Services Program (WCFSP) in 1996 to proactively encourage water conservation in the operations of recipients of water from Federal water projects and to assist agricultural and urban water districts in preparing and implementing water conservation plans in accordance with the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (RRA). Through the WCFSP, which is managed by each of Reclamation’s regional offices, Reclamation makes cost-shared financial assistance available for the development of water conservation plans and design of water management improvements, identifying water management improvements through System Optimization Reviews, and improving the understanding of water conservation techniques through demonstration activities. For further information on the WaterSMART Program, please see www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART.

The WaterSMART Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects FOA provides cost-shared financial assistance for small-scale water management projects (up to $75,000 in Federal funding for each project) that have been identified through previous planning efforts. Reclamation has developed a streamlined selection and review process to reflect the small-scale nature of these projects. The WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants FOA provides cost-shared financial assistance for larger water conservation projects (up to $1 million in Federal funding for each project) resulting in quantifiable and sustained water savings