Approved by California voters in November 2024, Proposition 4 funds projects focused on safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, and DWR is launching new assistance programs
Water Desalination Grant Program
Desalination Grant Program Background
The Program provides grants to local agencies for the planning, design, and construction of projects to desalinate naturally occurring brackish and ocean water for potable water supply. It has also provided grants for pilots, demonstrations, and research projects. Grant funding has come from Proposition 50 (2004) and Proposition 1 (2014). As of July 2026, over $123 million in grants ranging from $45,000 to $10,000,000 have been awarded.
The Program operates on a Continuous Application Process (CAP), which enables applicants to submit projects at any time when grant funds are available. DWR then reviews applications and awards grants in batches. Proposition 1 and 50 funds have been fully awarded. The Continuous Application Process is currently suspended, and DWR is not accepting applications.
Grant Application Process
The rules and procedures for funding vary depending on funding source, availability of funds, and DWR priorities at the time of funding. DWR uses an online application tool called GRanTS (Grants Review and Tracking System). An applicant must register to establish an account in GRanTS and follow the procedures described in the Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP).
Applicants of awarded projects must enter into a Funding Agreement (contract). Grant disbursements generally occur after costs are incurred and are provided after review of expense documentation provided by the grantee with invoices. After project completion, there may be annual reporting for up to five years to briefly describe the results of the project.
Rounds of Funding
The Continuous Application Process has been suspended. DWR is not accepting applications.
The first three funding rounds used funds authorized by Proposition 50. The fourth round and subsequent Continuous Application Process used funds from Proposition 1 and 50. The fifth round will use funds authorized by Proposition 4. These funds will be available in late 2027 or early 2028. Additional information can be found below:
Proposition 4 Funds for Brackish Water Desalination
Proposition 4 (2024) provides $62.5 million for capital investments in brackish water desalination, contaminant and salt removal, and salinity management projects to improve California’s water and drought resilience. DWR will administer this funding through its Water Desalination Grant Program, which will award competitive grants for the construction of brackish water desalination projects.
DWR is developing the draft Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP) grant guidelines. Funded desalination projects will be required to have salt removal as its primary objective to produce new potable water. Projects can also remove additional contaminants and manage salts in a basin. To receive funding, new potable water must be produced.
DWR hosted a virtual workshop on June 22, 2026 to receive input ahead of developing the PSP. Additional comments and questions can be sent to desalpsp@water.ca.gov.
• View the workshop PowerPoint presentation (PDF)
• View the workshop questions and answers (PDF)
Eligible Project Type
Only brackish water desalination construction projects are eligible for funding. The definition of construction projects is provided below.
Construction: A construction project generally consists of the construction of a full-scale permanent desalination facility and related infrastructure that results in an operable municipal water supply project. Construction projects that depend upon future phases for an operable facility are not eligible.
| Date | Activity/Milestone |
|---|---|
| June 22, 2026 1:00PM - 2:00PM |
Public Workshop #1 – Proposition 4 Overview
PowerPoint presentation is available here (PDF) |
| Late 2026/Early 2027 | Draft Proposition 4 - Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP) |
Proposition 4 - Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP)
The draft guidelines for conducting the Rounds 5 and 6 grant solicitation will be included in the Draft Proposal Solicitation Package. The PSP will contain detailed grant funding program information, including eligibility, application submittal process, review and award process, and program guidelines and requirements.
The Draft Proposition 4 – PSP will be available for public comment in late 2026/early 2027. DWR will accept comments in writing and at public workshops.
Continuous Application Process Suspended
At this time the Continuous Application Process has been suspended. DWR is not accepting applications at this time.
DWR implemented the Continuous Application Process, referred to as CAP, in March 2018. CAP uses the same submittal and review process described in the Round 4 Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP) and is supplemented with the Continuous Application Process Guidance. Applications are reviewed and qualified projects awarded on a first-ready, first-served basis until all available funds are awarded.
To date, DWR has awarded over $123 million in grants funded by Proposition 50 and Proposition 1. Projects funded by the Water Desalination Grant Program have included feasibility studies, research, design pilots, and construction projects to support the evaluation, development, and implementation of potable groundwater and surface water desalination projects in California. CAP projects are listed below.
CAP 1 – Total of $1.3 million awarded on March 28, 2019
| Grantee |
Project Title |
Project Type |
Approved Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Basin Municipal Water District - Decline Grant |
C. Marvin Brewer Desalter Facility Improvements Project |
Construction | $547,295 Project was canceled. Grant returned to Program. |
| West Basin Municipal Water District | Full-Scale Ocean Water Desalination Facility Environmental Documentation | Environmental Documentation | $500,000 |
| City of Thousand Oaks | Los Robles Golf Course Groundwater Utilization (Phase 1-Feasibility Study) | Feasibility Study | $111,326 |
| City of Simi Valley Water Department | Feasibility Study to Develop the Simi Valley Groundwater Basin as a Potable Resource | Feasibility Study | $144,685 |
CAP 2 - Total of $14 million awarded on June 11, 2019
| Grantee | Project Title | Project Type | Approved Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California Edison Company | Southern California Edison Catalina (Avalon) Desalination Plant 2 | Construction | $3,610,575 |
| California American Water Company | Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project | Construction | $10,000,000 |
| City of Thousand Oaks | Robles Golf Course Groundwater Utilization Pilot Project | Design Pilot | $426,830 |
CAP 3 -Total of $24.1 million awarded on November 26, 2019
| Grantee | Project Title | Project Type | Approved Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Basin Municipal Water District - Decline Grant |
C. Marvin Brewer Desalter Facility Improvements Project | Construction | $4,185,681 Project was canceled. Grant returned to Program. |
| Southern California Edison Company | Southern California (Avalon) Salt-Water Well, Desalination Facility, Storage & Distribution System | Construction | $10,000,000 |
| City of Santa Monica | Closed Circuit Reverse Osmosis (CCRO) Project | Construction | $10,000,000 |
CAP 4 – Total of $562,500 awarded on May 26, 2021
| Grantee |
Project Title | Project Type | Approved Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County Water Authority | Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant Wedge-wire Screen Demonstration Project | Design Pilot | $562,500 |
CAP 5 – Total of $5.04 million awarded on March 1, 2023
| Grantee |
Project Title | Project Type | Approved Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Replenishment District of Southern California | Brewer Well Optimization Project at Goldsworthy Desalter | Construction | $2,058,307 |
| City of Fort Bragg | Oneka Seawater Desalination Buoy Design Pilot Study | Design Pilot | $1,490,000 |
| Westlands Water District | Desalination and On-Farm Recycling Project | Design Pilot | $1,500,000 |
CAP 6 - Total of $1 million awarded on May 12, 2025
| Grantee |
Project Title | Project Type | Approved Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Oceanside | Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility Well Expansion and Brine Minimization | Construction | $1,000,000 |
Project Types for Continuous Applications
The Water Desalination Grant Program reopened the CAP for Construction and Design Pilot applications in September 2024. Grants awarded from these funds are referred to as CAP6.
-
Construction project generally consists of the design and construction of a full-scale permanent desalination facility and related infrastructure to result in an operable municipal water supply project. A construction project can include funding for design, but design will not be funded as a stand-alone project. Construction projects that depend upon future phases for an operable facility are not eligible.
-
Design Pilot project is a small-scale prototype for a full-scale project or a full-scale component of a project and is intended to refine design criteria, aid site selection, or study particular technologies or methodologies (conventional or innovative) for the purpose of implementing an already proposed full-scale municipal desalination facility.
Schedule
| Date |
Activity/Milestone |
|---|---|
|
July 2, 2024 |
Public webinar on Continuous Application Process (CAP 6) |
| September 18, 2024 | GRanTS open to begin accepting applications through the Continuous Application Process CAP6 |
| September 19, 2024 | Applications Due at 5:00pm |
| December 2024 | Release of CAP6 Draft Funding Recommendations |
| February 21, 2025 11AM - Noon |
Public webinar on the Draft Funding Recommendation for Public Review for the Continuous Application Process (CAP 6) |
| June 2025 | Release of CAP6 Grant Awards |
Resources
- Continuous Application Process Guidance - This brief document provides additional information for topics such as notifying DWR of the application submittal through GRanTS and how funding recommendation notifications will occur.
- Proposal Solicitation Package:
- Round 4 Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP) - Describes the overall application process.
- Errata - Provides corrections and clarifications to the PSP.
Application Attachment Templates and Additional Guidance
Send email to DesalPSP@water.ca.gov to request these files. The on-line Grant Review and Tracking System (GRanTS) has two general parts:
- Completion of the online form and question within GRanTS
- Up to 22 electronic files, depending on the project type, as shown below:
Links to the attachments with templates will be provided upon request. For attachments with a provided template, the template is required to be used. The other attachments require the applicant to provide the requested information in files they create or as existing documents. Guidance is also provided below for Attachment 20, Economic Analysis. See more information in the following table
|
Att. |
Title |
Required for Construction Application |
Required for Design Pilot Application |
Template* |
Additional Guidance* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Signature Page |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
2 |
Proposal Authorization |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
3 |
Water Legislation Compliance |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
4 |
Cost Share Funding Contributions |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
5 |
Funding Match Agreement |
X |
X |
|
|
|
6 |
Project Background |
X |
X |
|
|
|
7 |
Technical/Scientific Merit |
X |
X |
|
|
|
8 |
Scope of Work |
X |
X |
|
|
|
9 |
Work Plan |
X |
X |
|
|
|
10 |
Project Budget |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
11 |
Project Schedule |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
12 |
Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimations |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
13 |
Outreach and Community Involvement |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
14 |
Project Benefits |
X |
X |
|
|
|
15 |
Environmental Documentation |
X |
X |
|
|
|
16 |
Feasibility Study |
X |
X |
|
|
|
17 |
Project Plans and Specifications |
X |
|
|
|
|
18 |
Project Team Qualifications |
X |
X |
|
|
|
19 |
Plan of Study for Feasibility Study |
|
|
|
|
|
20 |
Economic Analysis |
X |
|
X |
X |
|
21 |
Other Information |
|
|
X |
|
|
22 |
Reduction or Waiver of Cost Share for Disadvantaged Communities |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
* Send email to DesalPSP@water.ca.gov to request these files. |
|||||
If an applicant is resubmitting an application that was previously submitted to DWR, please include the form entitled Status of Attachments Resubmitted under the Continuous Application Process as part of the application when resubmitting an amended proposal previously reviewed under and not yet funded within this Water Desalination Grant Program. See the Application Resubmittal Section of the Continuous Application Process Guidance for additional information on resubmittals.
2017 Grant Funding (Round 4)
On Sept. 1, 2017, DWR received 30 proposals for the Water Desalination Grant Program, Round 4, funded by Proposition 1. The total request for funding was approximately $139 million for the 30 projects, with estimated total project costs of $622.5 million. DWR is awarding funds to nine proposals, for a total of $44.4 million. These projects are in the following table.
| Funding Category | Application | Project Title | Total Project Cost | Grant Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | City of Santa Barbara | Reactivation of the Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant | $72,000,000 | $10,000,000 |
| Construction | City of Camarillo | North Pleasant Valley Groundwater Desalter Project | $59,828,808 | $10,000,000 |
| Construction | South Coast Water District | Doheny Ocean Desalination Phase 1 Project | $107,108,400 | $10,000,000 |
| Construction | City of Antioch | City of Antioch Brackish Water Desalination Project | $62,217,732 | $10,000,000 |
| Design Pilot | Eastern Municipal Water District | Enhanced Brine Concentration Design Pilot Project | $5,965,078 | $1,500,000 |
| Design Pilot | Olivenhain Municipal Water District | San Dieguito Valley Brackish Groundwater Desalination | $1,340,856 | $650,000 |
| Feasibility Study | Indian Wells Valley Water District | Indian Wells Valley (IWV) Brackish Groundwater Feasibility Study | $1,518,389 | $1,083,984 |
| Feasibility Study | Water Replenishment District of Southern California | Feasibility Study for the West Coast Basin Brackish Water Reclamation Project | $1,400,000 | $700,000 |
| Research Pilot | University of Southern California | System Configurations and Cooling Technologies for Waste-Heat-Driven Membrane Distillation in Desalination Applications with High Water Recovery | $1,007,852 | $503,490 |
Total Funding: $44,437,474
A public meeting to receive comments on the draft funding recommendations was held on February 5, 2018 at Metropolitan Water District’s headquarters (presentation). Information on this meeting and the Notice of Public Meeting and Comment Period on Draft Funding Recommendation Water Desalination Grant Program Round 4 - Proposition 1 Grants, January 24, 2018, can be requested by sending an email to desalpsp@water.ca.gov.
Round 4 Project Types
This fourth round of grant funding includes funding for 5 types of projects as follows (see the PSP for full descriptions of project types):
-
Construction projects generally consist of the design and construction of a full-scale permanent desalination facility and related infrastructure to result in an operable municipal water supply project. A Construction project can include funding for design, but design will not be funded as a stand-alone project. Construction projects that depend upon future phases for an operable facility are not eligible.
-
Feasibility Study projects are used to determine the need for a water supply project, to analyze the alternatives to meet the project objective, to determine whether a desalination project is the “preferred alternative”, and if it is, to identify the implementation steps for the project.
-
Environmental Documentation projects are stand-alone projects for compliance with CEQA or National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) where the basic feasibility study has already been completed and there is a likelihood for initiation of a construction project. As a requirement for funding, the completed portions of the feasibility study must be submitted with the application.
-
Design Pilot project is a small-scale prototype for a full-scale project or a full-scale component of a project and is intended to refine design criteria, aid site selection, or study particular technologies or methodologies (conventional or innovative) for the purpose of implementing an already proposed full-scale municipal desalination facility.
-
Research Pilot projects are typically small-scale prototypes for a full-scale device, equipment, process, or other technology and are intended to advance the knowledge base of new desalination technology, related infrastructure, and by-products treatment and disposal.
Application Attachment Templates and Additional Guidance
The completed application consisted of both an online submittal and one hard copy to DWR. The on-line Grant Review and Tracking System (GRanTS) had forms and questions that needed to be completed. In addition, up to 22 additional electronic files were provided to DWR as part of the grant application package. Attachments with templates and guidance can be requested by sending an email to desalpsp@water.ca.gov.
- Attachment 1 – Signature Page
- Attachment 2 – Proposal Authorization
- Attachment 3 – Other Participating Organizations
- Attachment 4 – Funding Contributions
- Attachment 10 – Project Budget
- Attachment 11 – Project Schedule
- Attachment 12 – Greenhouse Gas Estimation (Principle Desalination Component only)
- Attachment 13 – Outreach, Community Involvement, and Acceptance
- Attachment 20 – Economic Analysis
- Attachment 22 – Reduction or Waiver of Cost Share for Disadvantaged Communities or Economically Distressed Areas.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Additional information on various topics and issues in the form of questions & answers. FAQs may be requested by sending an email to desalpsp@water.ca.gov.
State Funding Agreement (FA) Sample
A sample funding agreement has been provided for review here (PDF). The actual agreement for Round 4 or subsequent funding may differ.
Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP)
The draft guidelines for conducting the Round 4 grant solicitation were contained in the Public Review Draft of the Round 4 Proposal Solicitation Package. The PSP contains detailed grant funding program information, including eligibility, application submittal process, review and award process, and program guidelines and requirements.
Final PSP. The final Round 4 PSP was adopted on June 16, 2017.
Final PSP, click (PDF)
End of 2017 Grant Funding (Round 4)
Sources of Funds
Proposition 4 Funds for Brackish Water Desalination
In November 2024, California voters approved Proposition 4, formally known as the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024. Established through SB 867 (Chapter 83, Statutes of 2024) and incorporated into Division 50 of the Public Resources Code, the measure provides broad statewide funding for climate resilience and water security initiatives. Proposition 4, Section 91016, allocates $62.5 million for capital investments in brackish desalination, contaminant and salt removal, and salinity management projects to improve California’s water and drought resilience. DWR’s Water Desalination Grant Program will award these funds through a competitive grant process.
Proposition 1 – these funds have been allocated and no longer available.
California voters passed Proposition 1 in November 2014, a part of which is the Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014. Chapter 9 of Proposition 1 provides $725 million for grants/loans for water recycling and advanced treatment, including desalination projects. The portion of funds allocated to desalination is $100 million, 7% of which was reserved for bonds and program administration.
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Contact Us
Email us at desalpsp@water.ca.gov if you have any questions or need additional information.
Archived Blogs
Updates and Public Notices
Several programs were amended to include the ability to provide advance funds to public and nonprofit grantees under certain circumstances and in accordance with State law.
Published:
Following several years of planning and investment, the City of Antioch has reached a climate-resilient milestone: a new brackish water desalination facility near its existing water treatment plant.
Published:
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will soon have new grant funding available to help advance California’s climate resilience goals, made possible by Proposition 4 - the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024.
Published:
The Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Water Desalination Grant Program has completed reviewing the grant applications submitted through the Continuous Application Process (CAP).
Published: