Water Conservation and Protection Grant Program

Tampa Bay Water supplies wholesale drinking water to more than 2.6 million people in the Tampa Bay region through Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties and the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa. Its regional drinking water supply uses groundwater from the Floridan Aquifer, river water from the Hillsborough and Alafia Rivers and Tampa Bypass Canal, and seawater from Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay Water has been involved in water conservation and source water protection since its creation in 1998. The Water Conservation and Protection Grant Program is part of its outreach efforts and is intended to engage community organizations in conserving drinking water and protecting the sources on which the region depends. The program seeks projects that conserve drinking water, protect the amount of water available to the region, and safeguard, maintain or improve drinking water sources and their contributing areas. Its stated goals are to educate the Tampa Bay community about water conservation and source water protection, build awareness of drinking water sources and how personal actions affect them, support hands-on activities that conserve water and protect, clean or restore drinking water sources and contributing areas, and support a diverse range of solutions representing Tampa Bay populations and locations. Encouraged project components include community involvement and education, environmental and water-source impacts, opportunities for Tampa Bay Water staff or board participation, tangible community impact and public recognition opportunities. Eligible examples include public awareness and outreach campaigns concerning source water protection or water conservation; river and stream cleanups, including riverbank restoration and stabilization; protection and preservation of watersheds and aquifer recharge zones; innovative solutions for reducing pollution in wetlands, rivers and coastal areas; trainings, workshops, signage, exhibits and Florida-standards-based educational curriculum concerning drinking water and the environment; and innovative approaches to reducing water consumption. Tampa Bay Water has $50,000 available for the current program, with individual awards ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 per organization. No cost-share or matching requirement is stated. Awardees must implement and complete their projects within the grant calendar year and comply with the program's documentation, reporting, recognition and project-management requirements. Applicants may be nonprofit organizations, universities, colleges, community groups or school groups located within Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas County. A community group without legal status must partner with a legal entity or fiduciary agent that can receive and account for the grant funds. Examples of possible administrators include homeowners associations, church groups, chambers of commerce, local associations, schools, parent teacher associations, Boy or Girl Scouts and 4-H. Applicants needing guidance may request a pre-award consultation by emailing Malique Rankin at mrankin@tampabaywater.org. Consultation requests are recommended as early as possible and no later than October 30, but the guide does not make consultation a mandatory pre-application gate. Applicants must complete and submit the application form, either online or using the downloadable form, complete and submit the budget worksheet, and attach a W-9. A letter of commitment from partners must also be attached when applicable. Online applications are preferred and are submitted electronically with attachments. Downloaded applications and attachments may instead be emailed to Malique Rankin at mrankin@tampabaywater.org. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on November 13, 2026. Applications are evaluated through a scoring system under Mission Alignment, Engagement, Impact and Project Management, with reviewers assigning eligible projects 1 to 5 points in each category. The program manager makes the final decision based on individual review, reviewer scores and how applications advance the program goals. Award notifications are scheduled for December 2026. Awardees are invited to Tampa Bay Water's January 2027 Board of Directors meeting for the official award announcement and ceremonial check presentation, and signed funding agreements are due January 31, 2027. Awardees must implement the approved scope, obtain written approval before making program or scope changes, participate in periodic update calls, coordinate a public announcement or launch with Tampa Bay Water, recognize Tampa Bay Water as a funder, partner or sponsor, and provide opportunities for staff or board involvement. Required fund-disbursement documentation includes an updated budget worksheet, invoice and proof of payment within 30 days after project completion and no later than October 31 of the grant year. A final written report with photos and documented outcomes is due on the same schedule, although project activities may continue after the final report. Funding is most commonly provided through post-project reimbursement, supported by an invoice, reimbursement request, proof of project completion and receipts, paid invoices or copies of checks. Pre-project funding may be available for all or part of costs requiring advance funding and must be identified on the budget worksheet. Such requests require an invoice describing expenditure type and amount, detailed product descriptions, costs and quantities, and supporting invoices, purchase orders or product-page screenshots; Tampa Bay Water asks applicants to allow at least two weeks for processing. After completion, recipients using advance funding must document completion and expenditures within 30 days, obtain pre-approval for spending on items not originally listed, and return any unspent balance. The guide does not explicitly state that the opportunity recurs annually, so no future-cycle recurrence is asserted.

Align the project clearly with water conservation and/or source water protection; demonstrate public outreach, education and involvement; define tangible outcomes and community impact; demonstrate appropriate project-management qualifications and costs; incorporate community involvement, environmental or water-source impacts, opportunities for Tampa Bay Water staff or board involvement, tangible community impact and public recognition opportunities