Valley Water is excited to partner with the community through the Valley Water Refill Station Grant Program. These grants are designed to provide funding for the installation of water bottle refill stations to expand drinking water access, especially in economically disadvantaged communities or locations serving school-age children and students in Santa Clara County. With clean drinking water from these refill stations and increased use of refillable bottles, let’s do our part to help reduce plastic waste from single-use plastic water bottles.
Funding for the Valley Water Refill Station Grant Program is made possible through the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, which Santa Clara County voters approved in November 2020.
Funding Availability
- $5,000 per grant towards the purchase, installation, and maintenance of a water refill station of your choice.
- We have a total of $100,000 in grant funding available for Valley Water Refill Station grants each fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis or until all available funds are disbursed during the fiscal year. Priority is given to project sites that serve economically disadvantaged communities and locations that serve school-age children and students in Santa Clara County.
Who is Eligible?
All applicants, except public entities and non-profit organizations, must demonstrate that the refill station will be installed in an area with public access.
- Public agencies, such as special districts, cities, towns, and county agencies
- Schools, community colleges or universities (public or nonprofit)
- 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
- Nonprofits without 501(c)3 exempt status but can demonstrate they are an affiliate of a nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 tax exempt status that acts as a fiscal sponsor.
- Organized community group with an established structure that can identify an individual responsible for signing the agreement and meeting insurance requirements.
- Private entity, such as a
- Private water district/agency; school, community college or university (private); or for-profit company
What are the next steps?
Ready to apply? Head on over to Fluxx to complete your registration and start your application today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I required to use a certain water refill station type or model?
It’s entirely up to the grantee which model and brand are used. Grantees are awarded $5,000 to use towards the purchase, installation, and maintenance of one refill station. How those funds are dedicated toward those things and whether you supplement this grant with other funds for those things is up to you. Please see the other resources below for a few samples of popular refill stations.
When am I expected to install the refill station?
If awarded, grantees will have one year from the effective Agreement date to install their selected refill station. Grantees will have the flexibility within that one year to install the station when it’s best for them. For example, schools may schedule installation during a break when classes are not in session.
In the event the grantee is unable to complete the project within the one-year term of the Agreement effective date, the grantee will need to return any received funds back to Valley Water.
Can I apply for more than one water refill station for my facility?
You may submit an additional application for a second refill station. However, Valley Water is committed to having diversity in its grantees and project locations and cannot guarantee there will be adequate funding to award more than one refill station grant per grantee. Priority will be given to those who do not currently have a refill station at their facility and to applicants with sites serving economically disadvantaged communities or school-age children and students.
Are there requirements related to the installation of the water refill station?
Grantees are required to follow all labor laws and ensure a licensed contractor is used for installation. Documented permission to install a refill station from the site owner or governing entity must also be submitted prior to installation.
What is the award timeline for Valley Water Refill Station grants?
Once an application is submitted, the review and approval process is expected to take approximately two to four weeks. If the grant is awarded, it will take an additional four to six weeks to draft, sign and execute the Grant Agreement before the initial funds can be distributed.
Can I apply for a grant to help cover the cost of the purchase, installation, and maintenance of an existing water refill station?
Is the payment of the Valley Water Refill Station grants reimbursement-based?
No, these funds are not reimbursement-based. The initial 50% of the grant award amount is provided upfront upon executing the agreement, and the remaining 50% is provided upon completion of the project and final deliverables are submitted.
Before submitting the application, can we contact you to review the project?
Yes, Valley Water staff is available to provide technical assistance on the application process and answer specific questions about the online application system or process.
Can I submit a hard copy application via mail, fax or email?
No, applicants must apply online through the Fluxx online grants management system at valleywater.fluxx.io. For assistance with using Fluxx, please contact the grants staff at [email protected]. Applications submitted outside of Fluxx will not be accepted.
What is considered a disadvantaged community?
- Disadvantaged communities include any of the following:
- Low Income Households – Below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Santa Clara County
- Low Income Census Tracts – Census tracts where aggregated household incomes are less than 80% of the AMI for Santa Clara County. See Santa Clara County Low Income Census Tracts (Poverty Zone).
- An area defined by the California Environmental Protection Agency. See CalEPA Proposed SB 535 Disadvantaged Communities.
Learn More
Are you interested in staying in touch? Sign up for our mailing list to receive emails on future funding opportunities.
You can also schedule a meeting with staff using the following link:
Resources
Valley Water offers several resources to help you learn more about our Valley Water Refill Station Grant Program. For more information, please visit our resource page.
