Water/Wastewater Feasibility Grants for Small Cities – Ongoing

Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (SEARCH) grants are available to nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and tribal governments for projects to improve infrastructure. Funding may be used for technical assistance, feasibility studies, and preliminary design and engineering analysis. The purpose of the program is to enhance water and waste treatment facilities in rural areas with a population of 2,500 or less.

This U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) program helps very small, financially distressed rural communities with predevelopment feasibility studies, design and technical assistance on proposed water and waste disposal projects.

The funds may be used to pay predevelopment planning costs, including:

• Feasibility studies to support applications for funding water or waste disposal projects 
• Preliminary design and engineering analysis 
• Technical assistance for the development of an application for financial assistance

The predevelopment planning costs must be related to a proposed project that meets the following requirements:

• Construct, enlarge, extend, or improve rural water, sanitary sewage, solid waste disposal, and storm wastewater disposal facilities 
• Construct or relocate public buildings, roads, bridges, fences, or utilities, and make other public improvements necessary for the successful operation or protection of facilities

Relocate private buildings, roads, bridges, fences, or utilities, and other private improvements necessary for the successful operation or protection of facilities

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