Water Efficiency Grant Program
The Metropolitan Council was awarded $1,250,000 from Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment funds for a Water Efficiency Grant Program during the Minnesota Legislature's 2021 First Special Session. The Metropolitan Council (Council) implemented a water efficiency grant program effective July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024. Grants were awarded on a competitive basis to municipalities that are served by a municipal water system. The Council provides 80% of the program cost; the municipality must provide the remaining 20%. Municipalities use the combined Council and municipality funds to run their own grant or rebate programs. Grants were made available in amounts with a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $50,000. Grantees are required to provide estimated water savings achieved through this program for Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment reporting purposes.
Barber, Chamblis, Cummings, Fredson, Gonzalez, Johnson, Lee, Lilligren, Lindstrom, Muse, Pacheco, Sterner, Vento, Wulff, Zelle, Zeran
$625,000 the first year and $625,000 the second year are for the water demand reduction grant program to encourage municipalities in the metropolitan area to implement measures to reduce water demand to ensure the reliability and protection of drinking water supplies.
See Fiscal Year 2022 for proposed measureable outcomes.
Ongoing. 2022-2024 Grant recipients and amounts included: Apple Valley $35,000, Bayport $8,000, Bloomington $25,000, Brooklyn Park $11,000, Chanhassen $34,440, Circle Pines $9,600, Coon Rapids $26,000, Cottage Grove $43,000, Eagan $42,000, Eden Prairie $44,000, Farmington $11,000, Forest Lake $26,000, Fridley $10,000, Hugo $36,000, Lake Elmo $43,000, Lakeville $43,000, Lino Lakes $24,000, Maple Grove $45,000, Minnetonka $22,000, New Brighton $28,000, North St. Paul $22,000, Plymouth $35,000, Prior Lake $9,600, Ramsey $19,800, Robbinsdale $6,080, Rosemount $34,000, Roseville $12,000, Savage $30,000, Shakopee Public Utilities Commission $49,000, Shoreview $16,000, Shorewood $8,400, St. Louis Park $25,000, Stillwater $25,000, Victoria $39,000, White Bear Lake $23,000, White Bear Township $38,000, Woodbury $40,000.
20% Local match. As of 1/15/2023 Other Funds Leveraged for FY 2023 only reflects local match from Q3 2022
$625,000 the first year and $625,000 the second year are for the water demand reduction grant program to encourage municipalities in the metropolitan area to implement measures to reduce water demand to ensure the reliability and protection of drinking water supplies.
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. Grants can be used for rebates to residents and commercial properties that replace inefficient water-using devices with approved devices that use substantially less water, or for irrigation system audits. Proposed measurable outcomes are cost savings, water savings, and device replacements.
Outcomes (cost savings, water savings, and device replacements) will be reported at the end of the project.
25% Local match
$375,000 the first year and $375,000 the second year are for the water demand reduction grant program to encourage municipalities in the metropolitan area to implement measures to reduce water demand to ensure the reliability and protection of drinking water supplies.
See Fiscal Year 2020 for proposed measureable outcomes.
Communities used grant funds to lower the cost of resident purchase and installation of products that reduce water use, such as EPA WaterSense labeled low-flow toilets, Energy Star labeled washing machines, and WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers, WaterSense labeled irrigation spray sprinkler bodies, and WaterSense Partner-certified irrigation system audits. Thirty-seven communities participated in this program, including Apple Valley, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Chanhassen, Chaska, Cottage Grove, Dayton, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Farmington, Forest Lake, Fridley, Hopkins, Hugo, Lake Elmo, Lakeville, Mahtomedi, Minnetonka, New Brighton, North St. Paul, Oakdale, Plymouth, Prior Lake, Ramsey, Robbinsdale, Rosemount, Roseville, Savage, Shakopee Public Utilities Commission, Shoreview, Shorewood, St. Louis Park, Victoria, White Bear Lake, White Bear Township, and Woodbury. 4,416 devices were replaced, including 1,348 toilets, 2,091 irrigation controllers, 26 irrigation spray sprinkler bodies, 915 clothes washers, and 36 irrigation system audits. From estimated water savings provided by grantees, approximately 92,500,000 gallons per year will be saved each year by these replacements. This includes 22,100,000 gallons per year from toilets, 47,600,000 gallons per year from irrigation controllers, 1,400,000 gallons from irrigation spray sprinkler bodies, 3,400,000 gallons per year from clothes washers, and 18,000,000 gallons per year from irrigation system audits. The average amount of water saved annually per device is approximately 16,400 gallons per year from toilets, 22,700 gallons per year from irrigation controllers, 57,300 gallons per year from irrigation spray sprinkler bodies, 3,700 gallons per year from clothes washers, and 500,000 gallons per year from irrigation system audits. 2019-2022 Grant recipients and amounts included: Apple Valley $29,000, Bloomington $21,000, Brooklyn Center $8,000, Brooklyn Park $10,300, Chanhassen $19,300, Chaska $14,000, Cottage Grove $27,300, Dayton $2,000, Eagan $30,300, Eden Prairie $44,300, Farmington $10,543.40, Forest Lake $12,300, Fridley $24,300, Hopkins $19,000, Hugo $31,300, Lake Elmo $35,000, Lakeville $36,000, Mahtomedi $6,300, Minnetonka $20,000, New Brighton $18,300, North St. Paul $23,000, Oakdale $1,315.63, Plymouth $33,300, Prior Lake $8,000, Ramsey $28,000, Robbinsdale $8,000, Rosemount $11,300, Roseville $10,000, Savage $11,000, Shakopee Public Utilities Commission $23,300, Shoreview $23,000, Shorewood $19,000, St. Louis Park $23,000, Victoria $12,300, White Bear Lake $34,300, White Bear Township $44,300, Woodbury $50,300.
25% Local match
$375,000 the first year and $375,000 the second year are for the water demand reduction grant program to encourage municipalities in the metropolitan area to implement measures to reduce water demand to ensure the reliability and protection of drinking water supplies.
The goal of the water efficiency grant program is to work with municipal water suppliers to help increase water efficiency in their communities. Grants can be used for rebates to residents and commercial properties that replace inefficient water-using devices with approved devices that use substantially less water, or for irrigation system audits. Proposed measurable outcomes are cost savings, water savings, and device replacements.
Outcomes (cost savings, water savings, and device replacements) were reported at the end of the project.
25% Local match. Other Funds Leveraged for FY 2020 only includes local match from Q1 and Q2 of 2020.
$250,000 the first year and $250,000 the second year are for the water demand reduction grant program to encourage implementation of water demand reduction measures by municipalities in the metropolitan area to ensure the reliability and protection of drinking water supplies.
See Fiscal Year 2016 for proposed measureable outcomes.
Communities used grant funds to lower the cost of resident purchase and installation of products that reduce water use, such as EPA WaterSense labeled low-flow toilets, Energy Star labeled washing machines, and WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers, and WaterSense Partner-certified irrigation system audits. Nineteen communities participated in this program, including Brooklyn Park, Chanhassen, Circle Pines, Cottage Grove, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Forest Lake, Fridley, Hugo, Mahtomedi, New Brighton, Newport, Plymouth, Shakopee, Victoria, White Bear Lake, White Bear Township, and Woodbury. 4,514 devices were replaced, including 2,380 toilets, 1,190 irrigation controllers, 940 clothes washers, and 4 irrigation system audits. From estimated water savings provided by grantees, approximately 52,000,000 gallons per year will be saved each year by these replacements. This includes 29,800,000 gallons per year from toilets, 18,000,000 gallons per year from irrigation controllers, 4,200,000 gallons per year from clothes washers, and 59,000 gallons per year from irrigation system audits. The average amount of water saved annually per device is approximately 12,200 gallons per year from toilets, 15,000 gallons per year from irrigation controllers, 4,300 gallons per year from clothes washers, and 14,800 gallons per year from irrigation system audits. 2015-2017 Grant recipients and amounts included: Brooklyn Park $7,500, Chanhassen $37,500, Circle Pines $15,000, Cottage Grove $8,250, Eagan $50,000, Eden Prairie $37,500, Forest Lake $40,000, Fridley $30,000, Hugo $36,000, Mahtomedi $10,000, New Brighton $50,000, Newport $27,000, Plymouth $18,750, Rosemount $9,000, Shakopee $50,000, Victoria $9,000, White Bear Lake $49,125, White Bear Township $24,000, Woodbury $50,000.
25% Local match plus additional funds ($155,125 across FY 2016 and FY 2017). Grant awards in excess of the appropriated $500,000 were funded by Clean Water Funds.
$250,000 the first year and $250,000 the second year are for the water demand reduction grant program to encourage implementation of water demand reduction measures by municipalities in the metropolitan area to ensure the reliability and protection of drinking water supplies.
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. Qualified activities include replacement of toilet with EPA WaterSense certified high-efficiency toilets, residential clothes washing machine replacements with Energy Star certified washing machines, irrigation system audits by EPA WaterSense certified professionals, and irrigation controller replacements with EPA WaterSense certified replacements. Proposed measurable outcomes are cost savings, water savings, and device replacements.
Outcomes (cost savings, water savings, and device replacements) were reported at the end of the project.
25% Local match plus additional funds ($155,125 across FY 2016 and FY 2017). Grant awards in excess of the appropriated $500,000 were funded by Clean Water Funds.