Where to Start: Tapping Into Federal Funding Opportunities for Community Water Projects

May 24, 202310:00 am PST
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Location:

Online Webinar

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The recently passed federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Bipartisan Infrastructure Act (BIL), and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) present an immense opportunity to address current and emerging needs around watershed health, infrastructure improvements, and conservation programming. Determining the best approach to accessing these funding and financing opportunities does not have to be a daunting and complex undertaking. 

WaterNow Alliance will host a 1-hour virtual webinar for utility and community leaders, sharing an overview of the opportunity for communities to leverage these funds to support their priorities, hear about community approaches to prioritizing and pursuing these funding sources, and learn more about upcoming opportunities from the USBR’s WaterSMART program.  

The webinar has three central objectives: 

  1. Share the larger landscape of federal funds, their applicability to water-related projects, and the opportunities for communities and utilities to use these tools to meet their near- and longer-term objectives. 
  2. Share strategies communities can use to ensure they pursue the options that best fit their project priorities, staff capacity, and state and local tax and labor rules. 
  3. Explore the impacts of the new influx of federal funding on specific programs, focusing in particular on the US Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grants. Share practical information to guide and support communities seeking WaterSMART grant funds. 

The webinar’s speakers include: 

  1. Julie Baxter, Water Resources Manager, City of Steamboat Springs
  2. Carolyn Berndt, Legislative Director for Sustainability, National League of Cities
  3. Irene Hoiby, Program Coordinator, US Bureau of Reclamation
  4. Sheryl Looper, Program Coordinator, US Bureau of Reclamation 
  5. Amy Weinfurter, Director of Strategic Projects, WaterNow Alliance
  6. Emerson O’Donnell, Program Manager, WaterNow Alliance

The recording of the webinar can be found here, and the slides can be found here.