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Grants & Financial Assistance: Watersheds & Water Quality

These grant programs focus on nonpoint source pollution, management planning, and stormwater.
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Overview

Here you will find program guides and other information about grants and loans for:

  • Watershed Planning Program
    • NPS Management Section Pre-Request for Proposals Informational Meeting
    • Section 319 Nonpoint Source Grants (prevention, control, and abatement of nonpoint source pollution)
    • Section 604b Water Quality Management Planning (water quality assessment and management planning)
    • Water Quality Monitoring
  • Stormwater
  • Natural Resource Nitrogen Sensitive Areas

Project summaries for S. 319 and S. 604b grants from past years are also included for reference. 

Long Island Sound Partnership Nitrogen Reduction Infrastructure Grant

Map of Long Island Sound Watershed (Source: NEIWPCC)

MassDEP is making approximately $7.2 million in funding available for Long Island Sound Partnership Nitrogen Reduction Infrastructure Grants. These grants, provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Long Island Sound Partnership, will fund project development and construction, including personnel, planning, design, equipment purchases, and construction activities related to nitrogen reduction solutions for Massachusetts wastewater treatment plants in the Connecticut, Housatonic, and Thames River Watersheds to address nitrogen discharging into the Long Island Sound Watershed. Preference for funds will be given to projects that are “shovel-ready” or in the final stages of design and permitting. MassDEP funded work must be completed by September 30, 2031. 

Eligible Entities: Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) that discharge into the LIS watershed in Massachusetts and Regional Planning Agencies acting on their behalf. 

Eligible Projects: Facilities assessments or upgrades related to nitrogen reduction solutions to address nitrogen discharge into the Long Island Sound Watershed. Priority will be given to projects that are “shovel-ready”. 

Applications are due December 21, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.

Long Island Sound Partnership Nitrogen Reduction Infrastructure Grant FY26 Request For Responses
LIS Grant FY26 - Attachment C Budget Spreadsheet

NPS Management Section Pre-Request for Proposals Informational Meeting

NPS Management Section Pre-Request for Proposals Informational Meeting: Federal Fiscal Years (FFY) 2024-2025 604(b) and FFY2025-2026 319 Grants

MassDEP’s Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management Section in the Watershed Planning Program held a virtual pre-RFP informational session to review the FFY 2024-2025 s.604(b) and 2025-2026 s.319 grant RFPs on Thursday, July 23, 2026.

View 2026 Pre-RFP Informational Meeting presentations and Resource Videos here:

Additional resources can be found in the Section 319 Nonpoint Source Competitive Grants Program and 604(b) Water Quality Management Planning Grant Program sections below.

Section 604(b) Water Quality Management Planning Grant Program

Section 604(b) of the CWA provides grants to determine the nature, extent, and causes of water quality issues and to develop plans to restore or protect water quality pursuant to the CWA and Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards. The NPS Management Section in the Watershed Planning Program administers the grant program.

The Award Year (AY) 2024/2025 Section 604(b) Request for Proposals (RFP) release date is August 19, 2026.

Section 604(b) AY2024/2025 Grant Cycle: For AY2024/2025, MassDEP will focus Section 604(b) grant funds on nonpoint source assessment and planning projects that result in the following:

Consistent with the MassDEP NPS 2025-2029 Massachusetts Nonpoint Source Management Plan (NPS Plan), MassDEP will prioritize Section 604(b) grant funds under the RFP for the development of nine element (9e)- Watershed-Based Plans (“WBP”) to restore impaired waters (as listed in the Massachusetts 2022 Integrated List of Waters), alternative (a)‑ WBPs to guide watershed protection and management activities for healthy waters, and 9e-WBPs for other waters without a listed impairment. In addition, and/or conjunction with WBP development, projects that focus on one of the following will be prioritized:

  • Work within a Massachusetts National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) watershed.
  • A regional or state-wide NPS Coordinator 
  • Work within a Nitrogen Impacted Coastal Water 

Important Dates for Applicants: 

  • RFP Release Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
  • Deadline for submission of written questions: Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 5:00 PM
  • Answers to questions (posted on MassDEP website and COMMBUYS): Wednesday, September 2, 2026
  • Grant Application due date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 5:00 PM

Request for Proposals:
Section 604B FY24-25 Water Quality Management Planning Grant - Request for Proposals (without attachments) - docx
Section 604B FY24-25 Water Quality Management Planning Grant - Request for Proposals (with attachments) - pdf

Official Answers to Questions:
Section 604B FY24-25 Water Quality Management Planning Grant - Official Answers to Questions

Additional Resources

Forms for Proposals from Office of the Comptroller

2025-2029 Massachusetts NPS Management Plan

Massachusetts 2022 Integrated List of Waters, Assessment Reports, Draft and Final TMDL analyses

Technical Memoranda: MassDEP water quality monitoring efforts are reflected in these technical memoranda.

Water Quality Monitoring Data: Quality-assured water quality monitoring data and GIS coverages of sampling locations.

INSPIRE (Ideas for Nonpoint Source Projects: Information, Resources, and Examples): this online GIS-based nonpoint source (NPS) capacity building tool provides users with information useful to identifying and developing NPS grant project proposals.

Watershed-Based Planning Tool: The WBP Tool guides users to select a watershed and complete the nine elements required for a watershed-based plan.

EPA's Quick Guide to Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters (PDF)

The Clean Water Toolkit: A manual in electronic format that provides an overview of nonpoint source related issues, fact sheets and detailed information about best management practices to address nonpoint source problems.

ResilientMass Action Team (RMAT) Climate Resilience Design Standards Tool: The Climate Resilience Design Standards Tool (Version 1.2) provides a preliminary climate change exposure and risk rating; recommended climate resilience design standards for projects with physical assets; and guidance with best practices to support implementation.

Stormwater Resources:

Section 319 Nonpoint Source Implementation Grant Program

Section 319 of the CWA provides grants for implementation projects that address the prevention, control, and abatement of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. The NPS Management Section in the Watershed Planning Program administers the grant program. In general, eligible projects must:

  • implement measures that address the prevention, control, and abatement of NPS pollution;
  • target the major source(s) of NPS pollution within a watershed;
  • contain an appropriate method for evaluating the project results; and
  • address activities that are identified in the current Massachusetts NPS Management Plan.

Eligible entities include any Massachusetts public or private organization: State and Federally Recognized Tribes, Regional Planning Agencies, Councils of Governments, Counties, Conservation Districts, Cities and Towns, other substate public planning agencies, and interstate agencies.

The FFY2025-2026 Section 319 Request for Proposals release date is Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

Section 319 Federal Fiscal Years (FFY) 2025-2026 NPS Management Grant: In the FFY 2025-2026 Section 319 grant cycle, MassDEP will fund implementation projects that target NPS pollution to maintain or restore beneficial uses as established in the Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards. Implementation work that addresses water quality impairments listed in Categories 4a, 4c, and 5 of the Massachusetts 2022 Integrated List of Waters in priority focus areas (developed land, septic systems, and agriculture) continues to be the highest NPS program priority, followed by implementation projects to restore nitrogen impacted coastal waters and projects to protect healthy waters.

Match Waiver: As a core capacity-building initiative, MassDEP’s NPS Management Section has coordinated with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program to gather the 40% non-federal match for the FFY 2025-2026 s.319 project funds at the state level and therefore will waive the match requirements for all awardees in this funding cycle. Please note that any reduction or waiver of match requirement is restricted to this funding cycle.  Continuation of this initiative in future funding cycles will be at MassDEP’s discretion and will depend on the availability of eligible projects and funds. Proposals under this RFP will not be required to provide match, but voluntary inclusion of match with cash or in-kind services will provide applicants a competitive advantage in the selection process. 

Important dates for applicants: 

  • RFP Release Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
  • Deadline for submission of written questions: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
  • Answers to questions posted on MassDEP website: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
  • Grant Application Deadline: Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

Section 319 NPS FFY 2025-2026 NPS Implementation Grant RFP Documents:

Supplemental RFP Material (Attachments) - MS Word - Please review these documents thoroughly prior to submitting your proposal:

Resources for Developing S. 319 Proposals: These materials will help you plan your project proposal.

Determining MS4 Status of the Project Area

Final Massachusetts Year 2022 Integrated List of Waters

2025-2029 Massachusetts Nonpoint Source Management Plan 

Healthy Waterbody Prioritization and Healthy Watershed Projects

MassDEP S. 319 Grant Guidebook

The Clean Water Toolkit

Watershed-Based Plan Tool

INSPIRE NPS Capacity Building Tool

Stormwater Resources:

Sections 604(b) and 319 and Project Summaries

Brief descriptions of past projects conducted with S. 604(b) and S. 319 grant funds.

Additional Resources

Water Quality Monitoring Grant Program

In the eight year of this grant program, MassDEP is seeking grant proposals from Eligible Entities for the purpose of supporting ongoing or new monitoring and data collection efforts to increase the amount of external data MassDEP uses for water quality assessments. The State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2026 Notice of Intent and the detailed description of the grant program in the SFY 2026 Request for Responses are available below. The Data Management and Water Quality Assessment Section in the Watershed Planning Program administers the grant program.

Grant Applications now due: November 21, 2025

Additional Resources

Stormwater MS4 Municipal Assistance Grant Program

This program, introduced in 2017, enables groups of Massachusetts municipalities to expand their efforts to meet requirements for the 2016 Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permits, and to reduce stormwater pollution through coordinated partnerships that emphasize resource sharing.

The FY27 Grant RFR is now available. Applications are due October 9, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.

A Pre-Application Meeting will be held on: September 17, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. If interested please register in advance. 

MS4 Municipal Assistance Grant FY27 Request for Responses
Attachment C

Additional Resources

Sewage Notification Assistance Grant Program

This program, introduced in 2022, assists permittees in expanding their efforts to meet the requirements of MassDEP’s recently promulgated Sewage Notification Regulations (314 CMR 16.00). These regulations were promulgated to Promote Public Awareness of Sewage Pollution.

The FY 2024 Notice of Grant Opportunity and detailed description of the grant program are available below.

Additional Resources

Natural Resource Nitrogen Sensitive Area Grant Program

Summary of Grant Opportunity: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP or the Department) seeks proposals from Massachusetts municipalities or other government entities that meet the definition of “Local Government Unit,” as defined in 314 CMR 21.02, and have a watershed that has been designated as a Natural Resource Nitrogen Sensitive Area under 310 CMR 15.000, Title 5. The purpose of this grant program is to assist municipalities in a variety of activities which facilitate completion of a Watershed Management Plan (WMP) for the purpose of completing a Watershed Permit application or De Minimis Load application, each of which address solutions to cultural eutrophication caused by nitrogen pollution from wastewater and other sources. Only planning activities that contribute to or come from a Watershed Management Plan, Watershed Permit application, or De Minimis Load application (as defined in 314 CMR 21.00) will be considered for funding. For more information, please see the Notice of Grant Opportunity.

Additional Resources

FY26 BWR Grant Training Workshop

State & Federal Fiscal Year 2027: Meet the Grants Workshop 

This workshop provides an overview on how to apply and compete for MassDEP Water Resource Grants as well as an update on programs anticipated to be offered by the Department in the upcoming Fiscal Year.

FY27 Meet the Grant Video Recording
FY27 Meet the Grants Workshop Presentation Slides | Español

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