SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director James Jennings today announced $5 million in funding through the Section 319 (h) Grant Program for projects addressing non-point source (NPS) pollution. The Section 319(h) Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is now posted.
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“The Section 319 Grant Program targets areas of the state prone to nonpoint source pollution,” said Director Jennings.“This funding will aid in the development and implementation of watershed management plans to benefit local watersheds.”
NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, eventually depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, and groundwater, our underground sources of drinking water.
The Section 319(h) Grant Program prioritizes projects that implement components of an Illinois EPA-approved watershed-based plan or an Illinois EPA-approved Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plan. These projects can include best management practice (BMP) implementation, environmental monitoring, social indicator monitoring, and outreach efforts.
The $5 million in funding includes a total of up to $500,000 for watershed-based planning projects, $250,000 for education and information projects, $150,000 for monitoring projects, and $3.7 million for BMP projects. Actual funding depends on the final U.S. EPA budget approved by Congress and the allocation awarded to Illinois. The Notice of Funding Opportunity and additional information can be found at on Illinois EPA’s Nonpoint Source Grants webpage. Applications for the Section 319(h) Grant program will be accepted through 1:00 PM (CDT) on September 16, 2026. Applicants must apply through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act Grantee Portal.
