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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This grant program is only for new installations.

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.

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.

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.

• 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.