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Funding and Grant Programs

Many funding programs are available for nonpoint source pollution management. Federal, state, regional, county and local agencies, and even private organizations are involved in funding one aspect or another of nonpoint source pollution management.  The skill for anyone involved in a program to identify and address the problems is to develop a financial package that draws from all applicable resources.  Where can you get help ?

• Twin Cities Water Quality Initiative (TCQI). The Council has since 1994 had grant programs for efforts directly relating to nonpoint source abatement. The TCQI grant program has provided over $8.5 million to over 100 projects inside and outside the metropolitan area. The TCQI grant program is winding down and no new grant is available under this program.

• MetroEnvironment Partnership. In December 1998, the Council agreed to continue to invest in nonpoint source pollution abatement efforts. The Council will provide $7.5 million for grants over the next five years.  MetroEnvironment Partnership Grant Program.

• Many cities have funded water resources management programs with their own financial resources.  Cities can fund such programs in a variety of ways: property taxes, special assessments, development fees, land exaction in lieu of fees, and user charges. 

  In recent years many cities have created Stormwater Utilities, which allow individual property owners to be charged for stormwater management in direct proportion to the volume of stormwater leaving the property and also the quantity of pollutants in the runoff.  Economists view this stormwater utility fee as a very equitable way of paying for water pollution control and stormwater management in general, since the size of the fee is proportional to the level of service generated by the property.  
  
  For additional useful information, please review the following links:

  Stormwater Utilities Report (PDF, 865 k, pdf) - PDF help