Reclamation Department Grant for Rural Potable Water Supply Needs Assessment and Feasibility Studies

Under the Rural Water Supply Program, Reclamation will work on a cost-shared basis with small communities in rural areas throughout the Reclamation states to assess their potable water supply needs and to identify options to address those needs.
Under this FOA, eligible applicants are invited to leverage their money and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation on appraisal investigations and feasibility studies. An appraisal investigation is an analysis of domestic, municipal, and industrial water supply problems, needs, and opportunities primarily using existing data and includes a preliminary assessment of alternatives to determine if there is at least one viable alternative that warrants a subsequent feasibility study. A feasibility study is a detailed evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility of a reasonable range of alternatives based on detailed investigations requiring the acquisition of primary data, including an assessment of its environmental impacts as required by the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). A feasibility study provides the basis for making recommendations to Congress about whether a proposed project should be authorized for construction.
Reclamation anticipates awarding between 6 and 10 investigations and studies under this FOA.