Overview
The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) provides funding to help Oregonians in the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern (GHVGAC) with household wells impacted by declining groundwater levels. Qualifying homeowners may be reimbursed for part of the cost to repair or replace and abandon dry or at-risk household water wells. Applications for funding will be accepted through January 30, 2026. Please see below for additional details.
Updates and Announcements
Funding Opportunity
OWRD invites homeowners with household wells impacted by declining groundwater levels in the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern (GHVGAC) to apply for a Harney Domestic Well Remediation Fund grant.
- Application deadline: January 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM
- Applications are available online. The online application is mobile friendly – you can apply from a smart phone or tablet.
- View Information Session about the Harney Domestic Well Remediation Fund.
- Review the Guidance for Homeowners. This document includes more details about the program and grant requirements.
- View a video introduction to the online platform. Please note the video says grantees will be able to receive payments via ACH by entering the information in their profile. OWRD will not be using this feature.
- Need Assistance? If you are unable to apply online and would like a paper application or need assistance with the grants portal, please contact us at OWRD.Well.Funding@water.oregon.gov or 503-779-5763.
OWRD is excited to announce that we are transitioning our grant programs to an online platform. This will help us better serve our applicants and grantees by accepting applications, reimbursement requests, and reports through a single online portal. This change is designed to make the experience more efficient and accessible.
You may be eligible for funding if:
✓ You own property in the
Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern (GHVGAC).
✓ You have owned the property for at least one year.
✓ The property is your primary residence, or you rent the property to someone else, and it is their primary residence.
✓ The residence was constructed prior to April 15, 2016.
✓ Your well is connected to your home to supply water for in-home use including drinking, cooking, and bathing.
✓ Your well is not part of a public water system, a very small water system, or a community well.
✓ No other water source is available for your property.
For full details, see the Eligibility Section of the
Guidance for Homeowners.
Check your eligibility. To qualify for funding, you will need to meet ALL the following eligibility requirements:
✓ You own property in the
Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern (GHVGAC).
✓ You have owned the property for at least one year.
✓ The property is your primary residence, or you rent the property to someone else, and it is their primary residence.
✓ The residence was constructed prior to April 15, 2016.
✓ Your well is connected to your home to supply water for in-home use including drinking, cooking, and bathing.
✓ Your well is not part of a public water system, a very small water system, or a community well.
✓ No other water source is available for your property.
For full details, see the Eligibility Section of the
Guidance for Homeowners
Learn about the Harney Domestic Well Fund. Review the information on this website, watch the video
information session, and read the
Guidance for Homeowners document. These explain the program and grant requirements.
Get a Professional Well Assessment (if work has not already been complete)
Complete the Application - Deadline: January 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM
If approved for funding, a homeowner could receive 75% of the cost (up to $10,000) to repair or replace their well. If the well is replaced, the old well must be abandoned, and an additional $3,500 may be awarded for those costs.
Please see the Guidance for Homeowners document for more information.
Funding will be prioritized based on whether the well is able to sustain the household or is at risk of going dry, whether the property is owner-occupied, if the homeowner’s household is low to moderate income, and if the property is located within a prioritized area based on groundwater declines.
The Water Resources Department received $500,000 dollars from the Oregon Legislature to help Oregonians in the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern repair or replace and permanently abandon household wells that were impacted by declining groundwater levels.
OWRD provided $59,650 to six homeowners who applied for funding during the 2024 funding cycle.
Grants are taxable income. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires the Oregon Water Resources Department to report all grant payments as taxable income. OWRD will provide a 1099-G tax form as proof of income if you receive a Harney Domestic Well Remediation Fund grant. We mail the 1099-G form to the address on record. Forms are mailed mid-January for payments made the prior year. For additional information about your tax liability, please contact the IRS or a tax professional.
The Oregon Water Resources Department’s Statewide Well Abandonment, Repair, and Replacement Fund (WARRF) provides financial assistance to help low to moderate income individual households or members of a federally recognized tribe in Oregon with the cost to repair or replace a dry or nearly dry well or a well that was impacted by wildfire and is no longer supplying enough water to sustain the household. Please see our website for the most current information.
Additional resources may be available to assist with low interest loans or grants for wells from the Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants in Oregon | Rural Development (usda.gov).
Please note, accepting a grant from another source will disqualify you from receiving a Harney Domestic Well Remediation Fund grant.