Section 604(b) Water Quality Management Program

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency administers the Section 604(b) Water Quality Management Program using federal pass-through funding received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act. The program is designed to implement the Illinois Water Quality Management Plan and Illinois Nonpoint Source Management Program. Funding supports work that determines the nature, extent, and causes of point and nonpoint source water pollution; develops water quality management plans and technical or administrative guidance; develops preliminary designs for best management practices; implements administrative pollution controls; and educates the public about water pollution control. Priority is given to projects that build capacity and increase assessments of waterbodies in support of the Water Quality Management Plan and Areawide Water Quality Management Plans. Eligible activities include development or updating of watershed-based plans, technical assistance for point or nonpoint source pollution control, environmental and social indicator monitoring, education and outreach, water quality monitoring, and development of planning, monitoring, or modeling tools. The program also supports outreach and education that helps watershed stakeholders develop and implement watershed-based plans and Total Maximum Daily Loads or build capacity to comply with Illinois EPA permit requirements. Examples specifically supported by Illinois EPA include expansion of its Assessment Unit Identification system, updating Illinois watershed action planning guidance, and a Soil and Water Conservation District Construction Site Erosion Control Outreach Program. Illinois EPA may partially fund an application by selecting discrete portions or phases when components are ineligible, lower priority, or available funding is insufficient. Illinois EPA expects approximately $750,000 in federal funds to be available, although the actual amount depends on the final U.S. EPA budget approved by Congress and the allocation made to Illinois. The program establishes no formal minimum or maximum total project cost or grant amount. Historically, federal assistance for individual projects has generally ranged from approximately $50,000 to $350,000, but these historical amounts are not stated as current award limits. This is a 100 percent funded program and matching funds are not required. It operates on a reimbursement basis: grantees must perform the work, pay project expenses, and submit invoices with supporting documentation before reimbursement. Reimbursements will be made no more frequently than monthly. Indirect costs are allowed through an applicable federally negotiated rate, State negotiated rate, or, for qualifying organizations, a 15 percent de minimis rate applied to modified total direct costs. Eligible applicants include recognized Regional Public Comprehensive Planning Organizations and entities proposing projects with water quality benefits that fulfill part of their organizational charter and that have legal status to accept funds from the State of Illinois. Examples include watershed groups, land conservancies and trusts, public and private for-profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions, county, municipal, and state government units, universities and colleges, local land managing agencies, soil and water conservation districts, conservation organizations, and other qualifying entities. Applicants must have the financial capacity to initiate the project and pay costs before reimbursement while maintaining normal operations. They must also have the authority and ability to implement the proposed project or appropriately subcontract portions of the work. Successful applicants must maintain required registrations and good standing, including SAM and the State equivalent, Illinois Secretary of State good standing when applicable, and a valid UEI. Applications were accepted beginning August 5, 2025, at 12:00 PM CDT and closed October 8, 2025, at 1:00 PM CDT. Multiple applications were permitted, but incomplete applications were not considered for funding. The source identifies the Uniform Grant Application, Uniform Grant Budget Template, Internal Controls Questionnaire, GATA Grantee Portal requirements, and applicable fiscal and administrative documentation. Monitoring applicants face additional requirements, including Quality Assurance Project Plan considerations. Successful applicants must execute a formal grant agreement and comply with applicable State and federal requirements, including 2 CFR Part 200, GATA, Executive Order 12372, and other assurances. Quarterly Periodic Financial Reports, Periodic Performance Reports, and project details reports are required, as is a final Project report documenting project tasks, findings, costs, benefits, execution, and success. Illinois EPA staff evaluate complete applications for technical merit, cost effectiveness, compliance with the Clean Water Act and Section 604(b) guidance, and the detailed merit criteria in the funding notice. Evaluation varies by project type and addresses factors such as project need, readiness, sustainability, coordination with other nonpoint source pollution activities, relationship to priority watersheds, stakeholder engagement, monitoring quality, and implementation capacity. Minimum scores are 54 for Watershed-based Plans, 50 for Education and Information Projects, 56 for Monitoring projects, and 50 overall for BMP design projects. Composite scores determine ranking, with the highest-ranked eligible projects funded first. Illinois EPA may remove ineligible components or fund a discrete project phase. Selected projects are incorporated into a Section 604(b) Work Plan Project List submitted to U.S. EPA for approval. Illinois EPA anticipated notifying both successful and unsuccessful applicants by January 30, 2026, sending grant agreements to selected applicants by April 15, 2026, and providing fully executed agreements by June 15, 2026. The anticipated project start date was April 15, 2026, or the date of contract execution, whichever came first. Programmatic questions may be directed to Illinois EPA Watershed Management Section staff at epa.bowgrants@illinois.gov or 217-782-3362. Fiscal and administrative questions concerning the Uniform Grant Application, Uniform Grant Budget Template, indirect cost rates, Internal Controls Questionnaire, or GATA prequalification may be directed to epa.gata@illinois.gov. The opportunity is identified as a one-time submission timeline, and the source does not establish an annual, biennial, or other recurring application cycle.

Address the scoring criteria for the applicable project type directly and document project need, readiness, implementation capacity, stakeholder participation, sustainability, and coordination with other pollution-control activities. Projects supporting WQMP implementation, Areawide Water Quality Management Plans, capacity building, and increased waterbody assessments receive priority. Document connections to Illinois EPA Priority Watersheds where applicable. Monitoring applicants should secure or submit the required QAPP and confirm that environmental monitoring is included in the organization's state charter because these requirements can affect scoring eligibility.