The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking qualified organizations to create loans to help rural homeowners finance household water systems. Funds are being made available under the Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant program. Through this program, USDA awards grants to qualified nonprofit lending institutions to provide affordable loans to homeowners who need new household water systems or new or repaired septic systems. The deadline for interested organizations to apply is July 19. 

Additionally, lending institutions can now use funds to provide grants to homeowners who earn less than 60 percent of area median income. These changes are expected to greatly increase the number of households that can participate in the program, providing safe, clean water throughout rural America. 

Eligible applicants are required to provide 10 percent matching funds. Please direct questions about this opportunity to the contact listed in the USDA announcement.