Purpose: The Household Water Well System (HWWS) Grant Program provides grants to qualified private non-profit organizations to establish lending programs for household water wells in rural areas. Homeowners or eligible individuals may borrow money from an organization receiving a HWWS grant so they may construct or upgrade their private well systems. Rural areas are defined as locations other than cities or towns of more than 50,000 people and the contiguous and adjacent urbanized area of such towns and cities

Eligibility:

1. An organization is eligible to receive a HWWS grant if it:

   a. Is a private, non-profit organization.

   b. Has a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and

   c. Has an active registration with current information in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database.

   d. Has the legal capacity and authority to carry out the grant purpose;

   e. Has sufficient expertise and experience in lending activities;

   f. Has sufficient expertise and experience in promoting the safe and productive use of individually-owned HWWS and ground water;

   g. Has no delinquent debt to the Federal Government or no outstanding judgments to repay a Federal debt;

   h. Demonstrates that it possesses the financial, technical, and managerial capability to comply with Federal and State laws and requirements.

2. An individual cannot receive a HWWS grant. An individual may receive a loan from an organization receiving a grant award. An individual must apply for loans through non-profit organizations that USDA Rural Development has approved to receive grant funds. The loan limit is $11,000 at 1 percent for 20 years. Application forms will be provided by the organization.

More Information:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWP-individualwellsystems.htm