2026 – 2028 Water Efficiency Grant Program
The Water Efficiency Grant Program helps fund activities that reduce existing water use at residential, commercial, and municipal properties. Met Council-approved grant activities include the replacement of specific water-using devices with more efficient alternatives, irrigation system audits, and the conversion of turfgrass to low-input, drought-tolerant landscapes at municipal properties.
This program will run from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028. Municipalities that operate or are served by a municipal water supply system can receive grants between $5,000 and $75,000 to reduce costs for residents, commercial properties, and government facilities. In this program, municipalities design and operate their own rebate or grant programs, which are funded by the Met Council with pass-through funds from the Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment. The Met Council will provide 80% of the program cost; the municipality must provide the remaining 20% of the program cost. Participating communities will be required to submit quarterly reimbursement requests and provide actual or estimated water savings achieved through this program for Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment reporting.
Grant program goal
The goal of the Water Efficiency Grant Program is to support technical and behavioral changes that improve municipal water use efficiency in the seven-county metropolitan area.
Changes for 2026-2028
Several changes to the WEGP have been made from past grant cycles. These changes are outlined in the bulleted list below.
- Maximum grant amount: $50,000 - $75,000
- Clearer guidelines for grant activity/device eligibility and property type
- Faucets and faucet accessories added
- Flushing urinals and flushometer-valve toilets added
- Commercial clothes washers and commercial dishwashers added
- Met Council strongly encourages (not a requirement) that an irrigation system audit be conducted before the replacement of an irrigation controller or spray sprinkler bodies. An irrigation system audit from an Irrigation Professional certified by a US EPA WaterSense program ensures the user has information for proper set-up and operation of their irrigation system.
- Municipal facility grant activity option added
- Replacement of water using devices at municipal properties
- Turfgrass conversion/replacement at municipal properties
- Low-income cost assistance option added (additional $10,000 available to expand maximum grant amount to $85,000)
- Full cost coverage for eligible residents on indoor water use devices
- Updated reporting form
- Standardized estimated water savings built into reporting for most grant activities (with option for municipalities to provide more specific water savings estimates)
Additional details are provided in the program guidelines document.
Critical points to remember
- The applying municipality must be served by a municipal public water supply system
- New construction and new developments are not eligible
- A portion of each eligible grant activity’s cost must be paid by the property owner
- Funds are for rebates or grants only; consulting and city staff time are ineligible
- Grant recipients must display the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment logo and the Metropolitan Council logo on program-related web pages and paper communications
- Applications are due April 13, 2026
- Funds must be spent down by June 30, 2028 (municipalities and Met Council will work together to monitor spending and adjust/reallocate funds as needed)
- Grant activities on municipal properties must supplement and not supplant dedicated municipal funding sources
Materials
Please submit applications to [email protected] by EOD on Monday, 4/13.
Program outcomes
The Met Council created the water efficiency grant program in 2015 to help growing communities reduce water consumption and future infrastructure costs. The number of grant applicants and recipients has grown over time, as has the funding.