September 13, 2024

By Brad Stager

The clean water that streams out of a faucet with a twist, tap or wave may rely on modern indoor plumbing to be accessible, but what happens at its natural source has a big impact on the quality and even availability of the water we drink. A grant program from Tampa Bay Water aims to protect local water sources through increased awareness and direct action.

Hillsborough County’s drinking water comes from different sources, such as the area’s rivers, groundwater from wells that tap into the aquifer and even the salty waters of Tampa Bay through desalination.

The Water Conservation and Protection Mini-grant Program provides money to support community projects that protect and conserve drinking water sources. Grants range from $2,000-$10,000 and can fund activities that are educational, such as holding workshops, improving signage around resources or creating public exhibits that improve awareness of water resources.

The grants also fund efforts to reduce pollution in water bodies as well as the wetlands and coastal areas near them. Ideas that reduce the use of water are also considered for funding. A total of $50,000 is available to fund various projects.

The mini-grant program is one of several ways that Tampa Bay Water involves the public in protecting drinking water resources. The utility also offers rebates to individuals and businesses for installing water-efficient appliances, toilets or irrigation systems, and also promotes cultivation of Florida-friendly landscaping that uses less water.

Educational institutions, nonprofit groups and community organizations can apply to the program. The application period for the 2025 grant cycle is open now and continues through Friday, November 22. Notification of which projects will receive funding in 2025 will occur in December.

“There are many organizations ready and willing to do good things for our community and just need resources,” said Brandon Moore, public communications manager for Tampa Bay Water.

Tampa Bay Water provides drinking water to its multijurisdictional members that, in turn, supply water to more than 2.6 million residents of the Tampa Bay area.

Tampa Bay Water member governments include Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties and the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa. To learn more about the mini grants, visit www.tampabaywater.org.