Studer Community Institute

DEP offers matching funds for local stormwater projects

February 17, 2015
/ Shannon Nickinson
/ community-dashboard

Three times each year, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection solicits grant applications from local governments to fund urban stormwater best management practices. The solicitation for these “TMDL Grant” applications has been released; requests are due March 31. The grant program offers matching funds for local projects that are aimed at reducing water pollution in “impaired” springs, rivers, lakes, and estuaries—those waterbodies that do not meet Florida’s stringent water quality standards. To qualify for TMDL grant funding, the local government project must be at least 60 percent designed and fully permitted. Construction is to be completed within three years and must include storm event monitoring to determine the actual pollutant load reductions the project will accomplish. Applicants are also encouraged to include public education elements in their requests, because spreading the word on keeping pollutants out of the stormwater system is a key to success. The DEP ranks projects for funding based on the level of pollution in the associated waterbody, the estimated pollutant load reductions the project is designed to achieve, the cost-effectiveness of the project and the percentage of local matching funds. Another important consideration is whether the applicant has a stormwater utility fee or other dedicated revenue source to continue effective stormwater management in the future. For more information on the TMDL grant program and the application process, clickhere. Information on the wide range of DEP’s restoration programs is available hereunder “Water Quality Assessment and Restoration.”

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DEP offers matching funds for local stormwater projects

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