Kentucky invites proposals for source water protection projects

The Kentucky Division of Water (DOW) will provide funds in order to help communities pay for source water protection projects that will help prevent drinking water contamination.

It will provide up to $60,000 per project, and will accept proposals through 1 March.

The funds are available to public water systems (PWSs) as well as the entities they serve.

DOW Watershed Management Branch geologist Jessica Moore said: "The goal of the funding program is to make money available for small projects that can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time.

"We are encouraging public water systems, towns, cities, counties and even schools to propose a new project, or complete a current project, that will help protect the drinking water sources for their public water systems."

The funding will provided to the water projects such as capping unused or abandoned water wells, installing best management practices, or implementing management strategies previously identified in a wellhead or source water protection plan.

Moore said: "Communities or public water systems will receive this money outright to perform their projects without the requirement for matching funds. Our goal is to help communities implement protection measures quickly through small-scale projects."

Supplemental funding contributions, including in-kind resources, will be taken into consideration during application evaluation.