Search Grants & Funding

The objective of this program is to provide support to regional town and village water supplies that are threatened by circumstances that could not be reasonably planned for, such as an extreme dry period or extreme water quality event.

Who can apply:

• Local councils and County Councils, as identified under the Local Government Act 1993 (providing water supply and/or sewerage services under Section 56).
• Water supply authorities (as identified in the Water Management Act 2000). 
• Joint organisations (as defined by the Office of Local Government). 
• Town water suppliers in unincorporated areas.

Who the grant is targeted towards:

The grant will only apply to essential domestic, commercial, industrial and institutional purposes in urban areas, or to essential domestic purposes in non-urban areas. The basis of subsidy for water cartage will be the actual cost of cartage, subject to Council targeting minimum essential quantities and implementing a high level of water restrictions that prohibits outdoor usage.

If water is carted for drinking purposes, the eligible organisation must follow NSW Health’s ‘NSW Guidelines for Water Carters’ document.

Types of projects funded under this grant:

Emergency financial grant assistance

Where water cartage is agreed as the most cost-effective means of maintaining essential supplies, the department may pay a subsidy based on eligible costs incurred.

Financial assistance can also be provided for the emergency provision of bottled water in exceptional circumstances.

Emergency infrastructure grant assistance

The cost of design and construction of approved water emergency works where the source of supply is at very high or imminent risk of failure or has failed as the result of an extreme event.

Eligible NSW small businesses who are embedded network (on-supply) customers can apply for a National Energy Bill Relief payment of up to $150 in the 2025-26 financial year via this portal.  

Eligible small businesses who are retail customers will receive their Bill Relief payment automatically via their energy bills.

Your small business may be eligible if all the following apply: 

• has not already received the National Energy Bill Relief payment for the small business's energy account in the 2025-2026 financial year
• is in an embedded electricity network in NSW
• has an electricity account in the name of the business with at least 90 days of metered electricity usage
• uses less than 100 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year across all sites in NSW
• has an active ABN.

If you operate your small business from your home or your small business is on a residential electricity plan, you are not eligible. Other exclusions may apply, for example post offices, government owned agencies, gas and water retailers, and telecommunications companies are also not eligible. Please read the Terms and Conditions for further information on eligibility.