Help available for income-qualified owners of dry or wildfire-damaged household wells

SALEM, Ore. - The Oregon Water Resources Department is now accepting grant applications for the Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund (WARRF) to help low- to moderate-income homeowners with the cost to repair or replace and abandon a dry well or a well damaged or destroyed by wildfire.

WARRF provides up to $40,000 per grant to eligible homeowners. A total of $1.4 million is available, and grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Homeowners who meet all the following criteria may be eligible.

The well:

• Is connected to the home to supply water for household use
• Can no longer provide enough water for essential in-home use including drinking, cooking and bathing
• Is not a public water supply well

The property:

• Has no other available source of water
• Is owner-occupied on a full-time basis (unless displaced by wildfire)

The owner:

• Owns no other property
• For dry wells, has owned the property for at least one year
• For damaged or destroyed wells, owned the property before the fire

Apply or learn more at owrd.info/warrf. For assistance, or to request a paper application, call 503-779-5763 or email [email protected].

In addition, Oregonians experiencing a dry well are encouraged to report it to OWRD via owrd.info/reportdrywell to OWRD. This reporting helps scientists and water managers better understand changes in groundwater supplies and potential impacts.

About the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD): The Oregon Water Resources Department works to assure sufficient and sustainable water supplies are available to meet current and future needs. The agency administers laws governing management and distribution of Oregon's surface and groundwater resources. For more information, visit oregon.gov/owrd.