(Washington, D.C., August 5, 2026) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development today announced the agency is accepting applications for grant funding to improve water and wastewater infrastructure for communities across the nation.

USDA is accepting applications through the Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program now through Sept. 30, 2026. This program, administered through the Rural Utilities Service, directly contributes to vibrant rural communities with modern, reliable infrastructure.

Rural Decentralized Water System Grants

USDA expects to make approximately $11 million available through the Rural Decentralized Water System Grant program. Grants will be awarded to qualified non-profit organizations to create a revolving fund and to issue sub-grants to finance the costs of individually owned household water well systems and individually owned household decentralized wastewater systems. Approximately $1 million will be available for applications directly supporting individually owned household decentralized wastewater system subgrants. All funds are subject to availability. Additional information about this funding is available on Grants.gov.

USDA is accepting applications for the DWS Grant program through Grants.gov. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. ET on Sept. 30, 2026.

USDA Rural Development invests in rural America with programs to promote rural prosperity. These programs expand access to high-speed internet, electricity, and transportation infrastructure, and support economic growth, healthcare, education, housing, and other community essentials. Discover more investment details and historical data in the Rural Data Gateway and learn more about the agency at www.rd.usda.gov.