Water board has money to give away

KELOWNA – There is another $300,000 up for grabs for those who need money to fund a project to save water or improve its quality in the Okanagan in 2015.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board is back with its Water Conservation and Quality Improvement grant program. It’s the ninth year for the program.

The cash isn’t available for just local governments; non-profit community groups and irrigation and improvement districts are eligible, according to a media release.

In 2014, the board handed out almost $57,000 in the North Okanagan, close to $180,000 in the Central Okanagan and the South Okanagan received grants worth about $64,000.

Water board project manager James Littley says for 2015, the directors have picked eight categories for special consideration: drought planning, groundwater, irrigation, metering, restoration, source protection, water system improvement and water flow monitoring.

“Projects in these categories really address some of the board’s priority areas,” Littley says in a media release. “They also complement projects water board staff are working on and close some of the gaps in the valley wide management of water.”

He points out “the application process is straightforward, and this year all the forms are available online.”

The water board funds about 20 projects a year and has handed out $2.9 million over for 179 projects over the last eight years.

The deadline to get a grant application in is 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. You can access a program guide and application forms at the Okanagan Basin Water Board’s website.