Proposition 1 Groundwater Grant Program

Proposition 1 was passed by voters in November 2014 and provided $900 million for a Groundwater Sustainability Program (Assembly Bill 1471, Chapter 10). The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will administer $670 million to prevent and cleanup contamination of groundwater that serves (or has served) as a source of drinking water. The funds are available as grants.

The State Water Board adopted the Proposition 1 Groundwater Grant Program Guidelines (Guidelines) on May 18, 2016, and adopted amendments to the Guidelines on December 19, 2017, February 2, 2021, and May 2, 2023. After three rounds of funding solicitations, the Groundwater Grant Program is no longer accepting new applications for cleanup and prevention projects.

Timeline

*Dates are approximate. Please sign-up for email updates to stay informed.

**Generally, Proposition 1 Groundwater Grant Program (Prop 1 GWGP) eligible projects must contribute to cleanup or prevention of contamination in the aquifer. However, Sections 4.5 and 4.6 of the Guidelines also allow for Prop 1 GWGP funds to be utilized for certain drinking water and wastewater projects serving disadvantaged communities. Substantial funds, reserved to benefit severely disadvantaged communities (SDACs), are available to fund drinking water treatment and wastewater projects. Please note that these projects should not apply through the Prop 1 GWGP solicitation process, which is geared toward cleanup projects. Instead, eligible SDAC drinking water and wastewater projects are funded on a continuous basis, consistent with the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (see the Office of Sustainable Water Solutions webpage for more info about applying for funding through the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Fund Programs). Division of Financial Assistance staff consult internally to direct Prop 1 GWGP funds to eligible SDAC drinking water and wastewater projects.