Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Grants & Partnerships Program

Valley Water's Grants and Partnerships Program invests in projects that further our mission of providing safe, clean water for a healthy life, environment and economy. Through three different grant programs and partnerships, Valley Water works with local agencies and organizations to promote safe, clean drinking water, water conservation, flood protection, and environmental stewardship throughout Santa Clara County.

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Grant Programs:

Standard Grants Program

Valley Water's 2026 Standard Grants Program application cycle opens on February 23 and closes on April 24. A total of $1.87 million in grants is available to fund large-scale projects benefiting Santa Clara County.

The 2026 Standard Grants Program offers Implementation Grants of up to $500,000 for public agencies with shovel-ready construction or large-scale capital projects that advance Safe, Clean Water Program priorities in Santa Clara County.

Eligible applicants include public agencies such as local cities, towns, counties, and open space, resource conservation, and special districts. Organizations that are not public agencies may participate as project partners; however, the public agency must apply and serve as the grant recipient.

To learn more, visit our Standard Grants Program page.

Mini-Grant Program

Applications are accepted year-round!

Do you have a small-scale project idea or need help kickstarting a larger project? Valley Water is excited to introduce our Mini-Grant Program, designed to provide seed funding to encourage activities that further safe, clean drinking water, water conservation, flood protection, and environmental stewardship in Santa Clara County.

Now, you can apply for funding of up to $10,000 per project; no match funding is required! These changes make it easier than ever to get the support you need.

The Mini-Grant Program ensures equitable access to resources for all communities throughout the county. Funding priority is given to first-time applicants to support new projects.

To learn more about our new program and how to apply, visit our Mini-Grant Program page.

Valley Water Refill Station Grant Program

Applications are accepted year-round

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.

To learn more, visit our Valley Water Refill Station Grant Program page.

Why partner with Valley Water?

We do better together!

As a public agency, we strive to protect and enhance water supply and habitat, but we can't do it all on our own.

That's why we have made a commitment to partner with our community to empower change and make a difference together. Grant funds are also open to a wide breadth of community members and organizations, allowing resources to be equitably accessed by all communities throughout the county.

Success Stories

Check out the projects Valley Water and the community have worked on together to benefit our waterways and environment. To learn more, visit our Success Stories page.

Where do Valley Water’s grant funds come from?

Funding for Valley Water grants comes from a special parcel tax, not water rates. In November 2020, voters in Santa Clara County overwhelmingly approved Measure S, a renewal of Valley Water’s Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program. This program provides approximately $47 million annually for local projects that deliver safe, clean water, natural flood protection, and environmental stewardship to all the communities in Santa Clara County.

In the renewed Safe, Clean Water Program, funding for community grants and partnerships was reorganized and consolidated under Project F9: Grants and Partnerships for Safe, Clean Water, Flood Protection, and Environmental Stewardship. “The measure that voters approved in 2020 included four areas where grant funds could be expended: standard grants, water bottle filling stations, mini-grants and partnerships. We are committed to awarding these taxpayer dollars as voters intended and to monitoring and reporting to the public on the status of projects.”

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or (408) 630-2080.

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