Agenda - Council - 03/22/2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Metropol'itan Counc'll � CLEAN WATER Water Efficiency Grant Program METR{]I�OLITAN LANDLEGACY C O U N '�. I L AMENDMENT Overview The Metropolitan Council (Council)will implement a water efficiency grant program effective July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to municipalities that are served by a municipal water system. The Council will provide 80%of the program cost;the municipality must provide the remaining 20%. Municipalities will use the combined Council and municipality funds to run their own grant or rebate programs. Grants will be made available in amounts with a minimum of$5,000 and a maximum of$50,000. Grantees will be required to provide estimated water savings achieved through this program for Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment reporting purposes. Legislative Directive - Minnesota 2021 Session Law $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. Fiscal year 2022 appropriations are available until June 30, 2023, and fiscal year 2023 appropriations are available until June 30, 2024. 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. 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 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 Grant Program Structure: Administration and Funding The Water Efficiency Grant Program will be administered by Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) and will be funded with $1,000,000 appropriated by the 2021 Minnesota Legislature. Grant applications will be reviewed and ranked by the MCES Water Supply Planning Unit staff.The remaining$250,000 of this funding has been allocated to a different municipal water efficiency grant project. Grants are only for water efficiency programs offering rebates or grants to property owners who are customers of the municipal water supply system and who replace specified water using devices with approved devices that use substantially less water. 1