DEP announces FY11 drinking water supply protection grant program

The Department of Environmental Protection this week announced the fiscal 2011 Drinking Water Supply Protection Grant Program.

The program provides funding to eligible public water systems and municipalities for land acquisitions to protect public drinking water supplies. Land projects must be located in existing drinking water supply areas and may be acquired through fee simple purchase or a conservation restriction.

The maximum grant award for a single project is $500,000. The maximum reimbursement amount is 50 percent of the total eligible project expenses.

Grant award announcements are expected no later than January 2011. All grant awards are contingent upon funding. Funding for this program is from the Commonwealth Capital Budget.

Applications are due by 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 24. The request for responses is available on the Comm-PASS website (www.comm-pass.com). Search for solicitation by Department of Environmental Protection.

For more information contact the Drinking Water Program at (617) 556-1070 or catherine.sarafinas@state.ma.us.