Opportunity Overview
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications for the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program for Other-Than-Municipal (OTM) and nonprofit Non-Transient Non-Community (NN) public water systems. The current cycle focuses on PFAS and manganese contamination in small Wisconsin drinking-water systems.
Funding and Deadline
Eligible projects may receive up to $240,000 per public water system. There is no cost-share requirement; the grant may cover 100% of eligible project costs.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through September 30, 2026, or until funds are exhausted, whichever comes first. The current DNR program page does not state a specific closing time or time zone.
Eligible Applicants
The applicant must be the owner or authorized representative of a small OTM or nonprofit NN public water system serving fewer than 10,000 people. Nonprofit NN systems may include government entities, public school districts, and qualifying 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) organizations; schools and daycare centers not on municipal water can meet the NN definition.
The system must have qualifying PFAS or manganese contamination. Wisconsin DNR currently lists PFAS thresholds including PFOA or PFOS at 2 ng/L or greater; PFHxS, PFNA, or HFPO-DA at 5 ng/L or greater; an EPA PFAS hazard index of 0.5 or greater; or the 2020 Wisconsin DHS hazard index of 1.0 or greater. Manganese eligibility generally requires the most recent entry-point sample to be at least 300 micrograms per liter.
Eligible Uses
Eligible work may include project planning and design, technical assistance, construction or treatment, consolidation, new well construction and abandonment of an old well, treatment installation, testing, source-water work, storage, and other approved actions whose primary purpose is addressing PFAS or manganese contamination.
Application Requirements
A complete package includes EC-SDC Grant Application Form 8700-029, Environmental Review Form 8700-022, a W-9, and, for nongovernmental NN systems, an IRS Tax-Exempt Affirmation Letter. Applicants also need a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Complete applications are submitted to DNRECSDCGrants@wisconsin.gov.
Atlas Fit Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 76/100. This is a meaningful Wisconsin school and community infrastructure opportunity where a qualifying school, daycare, or other nonprofit NN system has documented PFAS or manganese contamination, but eligibility is narrow and contamination-specific.
N9+ Fit: 0/100. QC Healthcare Fit: 0/100. Direct Vendor Fit: 0/100. The program funds drinking-water contamination response and infrastructure rather than remote clinical examination, telehealth, medical-device deployment, or physician coverage. Atlas should not force an N9+ or QC Healthcare pathway.
Verification Note
The live Wisconsin DNR program page states that the 2026 cycle opened February 1, 2026 and applications are due September 30, 2026. The PDF currently linked from that page presents conflicting version information when visually rendered versus its machine-readable text, including older-cycle material. Applicants should confirm the current application packet with Wisconsin DNR before final submission.
DNR contact: Emily Mitchell, Grant Manager, emily.mitchell@wisconsin.gov, 608-673-0469.