WaterSMART: Desalination Construction Projects

grants.gov listing Full announcement (NOFO)

Dealbreakers Cost share required

Geography: AZ · CA · CO · ID · KS · MT · ND · NE · NM · NV · OK · OR · SD · TX · UT · WA · WY

“All applicants must be located in one of the following States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.” — From the announcement

Audit: not stated Reimbursement-only: not stated

Award range: $1,000 – $120,000,000
Expected awards: ~10
Application deadline: Aug 26, 2027
Posted: May 14, 2026
Last verified: 4 days ago

At a glance

AI summary

This program funds planning, design, and/or construction of facilities to desalinate seawater or brackish surface water or groundwater. Eligible applicants are States, state departments or subdivisions, and public agencies such as Tribes, municipalities, irrigation districts, water districts, and wastewater districts. Applicants must be located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming. The federal share is limited to a maximum of 25 percent of total project costs, and cost sharing is required at 75 percent from non-Federal sources. The announcement expects about 10 awards, with an award floor of $1,000 and an award ceiling of $120,000,000.

AI-generated summary — verify against the announcement

What it funds

Natural Resources
Infrastructure, Construction & Shared Facilities
Planning & Coordination
General Public / Community-wide
Environment, Conservation & Natural Resources
Infrastructure & Public Works

Official description from grants.gov

Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with States, Tribes, and other entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply and hydropower reliability. The WaterSMART Program demonstrably advances Trump administration priorities, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14154 (January 20, 2025): Unleashing American Energy (E.O.14154) and Secretarial Order 3418, and aligns with other priorities and requirements, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14332 (August 7, 2025): Improving Oversight in Federal Grantmaking (E.O. 14332). The WaterSMART: Desalination Construction Projects NOFO invites eligible applicants to submit proposals for the planning, design, and/or construction of facilities to desalinate seawater or brackish surface water or groundwater. By providing growing communities with new sources of local water supply, desalination projects diversify the water supply portfolio, increase water management flexibility during times of shortage, and make the water supply more reliable.

Who can apply

Others

Geographic restriction Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming only

“All applicants must be located in one of the following States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.” — From the announcement

Program history

USASpending.gov

Assistance listing 15.591 · WaterSMART Desalination Construction Program

Real awards this federal program has made — the whole assistance listing (15.591), not just this notice.

No grants-family awards recorded for this program since FY 2021 — it may be new, renamed, or not yet reported to USASpending.

Source: USASpending.gov · refreshed Aug 24, 2026