Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs Available to Water and Wastewater Utilities
You can prevent damage to your utility before it occurs. Utilities can implement mitigation projects to:
- Better withstand a natural disaster
- Minimize damage
- Rapidly recover from disruptions to service
Examples of mitigation projects for utilities include:
- Elevate generators and electrical service panels for floods
- Enlarge culverts to better handle flood surges
- Modify pipes with flexible joints to mitigate earthquake damage
- Strengthen raw water intakes to prevent damage from erosion and flood debris
- Reduce fuel loads around facilities vulnerable to wildfires
FEMA has three hazard mitigation assistance programs that are available for eligible water and wastewater utilities. They include:
- Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)
- Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
- Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)
Below is a brief side-by-side comparison of the three hazard mitigation assistance programs.
| Fund | Description | Eligible Grantees2 | Eligibility Conditions | Funding Type and Cost Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEMA BRIC (New) | Provides grants to reduce risks from disasters and natural hazards, emphasizing innovations in shared funding partnerships and project design | Public or PNP1 or PFP1 | Yearly national competition. Requires utility projects to be in a local hazard mitigation plan | Grant with 75% federal cost share with a 25% state/local match. 90% federal for small and impoverished communities. See Combine Funds to leverage different funds |
| FEMA HMGP | Provides grants that reduce disaster losses and protect life and property from future disasters. Focuses on long term risk reduction | Public or PNP or PFP1 | Requires a Presidential Disaster Declaration; Competed within state for an award. Requires utility projects to be in a local hazard mitigation plan | Grant with 75% federal cost share with a 25% state/local match. See Combine Funds to leverage different funds |
| FEMA FMA | Provides grants to plan and perform projects to reduce future flood losses which may include lifting, buying or moving National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)-insured structures | Public or PNP1 or PFP1 | Yearly national competition; Utility must be insured by NFIP; Requires utility projects in local hazard mitigation plan | Grant with 75% federal cost share with a 25% state/local match; 90% federal for repetitive losses and 100% federal for severe repetitive losses; 90% federal for small and impoverished communities. See Combine Funds to leverage different funds |
1 Only if local government applies on their behalf.
2 PNP stands for Private-Nonprofit and PFP stands for Private For-Profit. Varies depending which FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs is used
The FEMA website is at FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants.