Drinking Water Planning and Design Funds for PFAS Treatment

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is administering a one-time grant opportunity titled "Drinking Water Planning and Design Funds for PFAS Treatment." This grant program is designed to support the planning and design of long-term treatment systems for public drinking water supplies contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). A total of $22 million in funding is available through this initiative, which is the result of a one-time legislative appropriation. All funds must be expended by June 30, 2027. The primary objective of this program is to assist Minnesota communities in the planning and design stages of water treatment systems intended to address PFAS contamination. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and evaluated on a first-come, first-served schedule. The maximum grant award varies based on the system's flow rate, with five categories ranging from less than 1,000 gallons per minute (gpm) to greater than 5,000 gpm. Corresponding award amounts range from $800,000 to $4,600,000. Funding is provided on a reimbursement basis, and grant amounts may be reduced if submitted project costs lack sufficient detail or exceed the project's scope. Eligible applicants must be owners or operators of community drinking water systems in Minnesota. Additional criteria include having at least four quarters of EPA-compliant sampling data using methods 533 or 537.1, and results must exceed the EPA Draft MCL for PFOS or PFOA (4 ppt) or a Hazard Index MCL of 1.0. Ineligible applicants include entities already eligible under the Minnesota 3M PFAS Settlement, those with enforcement or tax issues, or those suspended or debarred by the state or federal government. Eligible projects involve planning and/or designing treatment systems to remediate PFAS contamination in public water supplies. These may include design costs related to PFAS treatment, necessary pretreatment, and distribution system upgrades. Construction activities and non-PFAS related facility upgrades are not eligible. Allowable costs include staff and consultant time for eligible planning activities. Costs incurred prior to grant agreement execution, lobbying, fundraising, and entertainment expenses are among those explicitly disallowed. Applications must be submitted electronically using the MPCA's Rolling Application Form. The final deadline for submission is 4:00 p.m. Central Time on June 28, 2024. Questions regarding the RFP must be emailed to grants.pca@state.mn.us by June 21, 2024. All questions and answers will be publicly posted on the grant program’s webpage. The MPCA and Minnesota Department of Health will review applications for eligibility and compliance, and award decisions will be made within approximately 30 days of submission. Applicants selected for funding will be required to register as vendors in SWIFT and must sign a grant agreement via DocuSign. Grant recipients are obligated to comply with all reporting and auditing requirements. The final report and quarterly invoices are required throughout the grant lifecycle. Public access to applications is regulated under Minnesota law, and conflicts of interest will be closely monitored to ensure impartiality in award distribution.