Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon.gov Homepage


The Water Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund (WARRF) provides financial assistance to individual households, or members of a federally recognized tribe in Oregon. This financial assistance can be used to permanently abandon, repair, or replace a water well used for household purposes.

The Department is accepting applications from low-to-moderate income households with domestic wells in areas that are impacted by drought or wildfire.

These impacted households are prioritized to meet urgent public health needs and based on the direction from the Oregon Legislature during the December 2021 special session. The Department anticipates a broader set of wells will be eligible for funding in future biennia.

​

You may be eligible for Stage I funding if:  

  • Your household is low-to-moderate income.  
  • Your property is in an area recently impacted by wildfire or drought. 
  • You own the impacted property. 
  • You live at the property (unless displaced by natural disaster). 
  • Your well is a water supply well used for household purposes and is connected to a residential dwelling for the purpose of supplying water for drinking, cooking, washing, bathing, or household uses. 
  • Your well is not a public water supply well. 
  • Your water supply well, or components of the well system, are located in an area recently impacted by drought or wildfire whose condition is unable to supply water for drinking, cooking, washing, bathing, or household uses. 
  • Your property does not have an alternate source of water available. 


For more information, see the Eligibility Checklist in the Guidance for Homeowners.     ​​​​​​


​El Fondo para Abandono, Reparación y Reemplazo de Pozos de Agua proporciona financiamiento para abandonar permanentemente, reparar o reemplazar pozos de suministro de agua utilizados con fines domésticos. El departamento está aceptando solicitudes de financiamiento para pozos de agua afectados que son utilizados con fines domésticos, cuya condición hace que no puedan suministrar agua para beber, cocinar, lavar, bañarse o usos domésticos.​

Para ser elegible para el financiamiento, usted debe reunir todos los requisitos. Para conocer más acerca de los criterios de elegibilidad y tener acceso a los formularios en español, vea la página de Solicitudes, Formularios y Orientación​.

​

Funding is currently available for low to moderate income households. Use one of the 3 options below to see if you qualify as a low to moderate income household for this funding. ​

Option 1a. Income Eligibility Form  establishing eligibility in the Oregon Housing and Community Services, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Option 1b. Income Eligibility Form and copy of an Eligibility Notice for one of the following Oregon Department of Human Services or Oregon Health Authority programs (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Oregon Health Plan (OHP) (Medicaid), or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). 

​Option 1c. Income Eligibility Form and Oregon Department of Revenue tax transcript(s) for the most recent tax filing year for each tax filer residing at the household's physical address as proof of income.

  • ​​The Water Resources Department has approximately $5.4 million dollars available for the Fund. $2 million of this funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, and $3.4 million from the State of Oregon General Fund.  
  • ​To help as many Oregonians as possible with the funding program, there is a limit of $40,000 per applicant.  ​
  • This is a grant (not a loan) to reimburse homeowners for the expenses to abandon, repair, and replace a qualifying well. You will be responsible for contracting with a well constructor and the fund will reimburse 100% of the eligible costs up to the funding limit of $40,000 per applicant. 
  • Funding is limited and applying for the program does not guarantee that your application will be approved. 

​​

​Three counties received funding in 2021 to provide financial assistance for impacted well owners. Those living in Deschutes or Klamath counties may also seek assistance from their county of residence. 

The Oregon Water Resources Department is not involved in distributing the county funds and cannot speak to each county's timelines. 


For more information contact:

Phone: 503-779-5763

Email: OWRD.Well.Funding

Forms and Guidance

Other Resources: