Training opportunities, recognition, and resources for water systems

Excellence recognition and assistance grants

NEW! The Water Quality Control Division’s Local Assistance Unit is now accepting applications for the 2026 Assistance Grants Program. For information and the application, please see Assistance Grants Funding below. 

Excellence recognition and excellence program

The Excellence Program and Excellence Awards are returning in 2026.

This program aims to incentivize public drinking water systems that maintain and exceed regulatory compliance or are taking proactive steps to address and overcome health and environmental challenges. The Excellence Recognition aspect encompasses: the "Commitment Award Recognition” and “Outstanding Compliance Award Recognition”. The long-term assistance component of the program, known as the “Excellence Program,” encourages excellence through long-term compliance and continuous optimization.

Outstanding compliance award

This award is given to community drinking water systems with a longstanding record of exemplary compliance. Internal data, such as reporting services and the safe drinking water information system (SDWIS), will be used to identify and confirm candidate eligibility.

Commitment award

The Commitment Award recognizes systems that have demonstrated a commitment to the culture of health. There are three ways of winning this award:

• A community drinking water system that applies and explains how they have taken impressive, innovative steps to overcome a particularly difficult challenge or have shown a strong commitment to the culture of health.
• A system that is nominated by CDPHE staff using the developed criteria.
• A system that has initiated a risk assessment, coaching assessment, asset management plan, or a capital improvement plan and has agreed to be part of the Local Assistance Units' “Excellence Program”. 

Assistance grants funding

The 2026 Assistance Grants application period is closed.

The Assistance Grants Program provides financial assistance for systems that need help reaching or exceeding compliance requirements or addressing a water quality challenge. This program primarily funds infrastructure projects and requires systems to address operational and administrative improvements, such as emergency response plans, main break response procedures, and storage tank inspection plans.

• Total funding is $150,000. Individual grants will be no more than $30,000.
• All public water systems are eligible.
• Projects must be completed within the calendar year.

Projects from both external applications and division referrals will be considered for funding.
After the application period has closed, applications and referrals will be reviewed and ranked. Top ranked applications/referrals will be evaluated by a division committee. 

It is anticipated that recipients of the initially awarded projects will be notified in November 2025.

When applying, please have the system’s Public Water System Identification Number (PWSID) on hand.
 

To view frequently asked questions on the Assistance Grants program, please visit the Assistance Grants 2026 questions and answers post.

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