Lexington’s Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant Program is entering its tenth year of funding projects to reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality and educate citizens about water issues in Lexington.

Applications are open for all types of grants: infrastructure, education and neighborhood. Neighborhood and education grant applications are due on May 10, 2019. Infrastructure grant applications are due on July 26, 2019. First-time applicants are strongly encouraged.

Neighborhood grants are available for Fayette County neighborhood, community and homeowner associations that represent single family homeowners or farms. The neighborhood grants can be used to fund rain gardens, rain barrels, aeration systems for retention ponds, stream bank restoration, neighborhood workshops and other projects that help improve or manage stormwater through education or physical improvements.

Neighborhood projects may be funded up to $100,000 and require a 20% cost share, through cash or in-kind donations.

Education grants are open to schools, churches, nonprofits, and owners and tenants of businesses that do not fall under the neighborhood grant criteria. Education grants can fund the development of stormwater-related curriculum for schools, publicity campaigns about water quality, workshops for the public and educational rain gardens. The maximum award for the education grants is $35,000, with a cost share of 20% above the first $2,500, through cash or in-kind donations.

Infrastructure grants, for businesses, schools, churches, apartment complexes and other institutions, are also open. In the past, these grants have funded a variety of stormwater projects, including stream restoration, constructed wetlands, bio-retention, rain gardens, rainwater harvesting and pervious pavement installation. The maximum award for the education grants is $300,000, with a cost share of 20%.

Grant application packets, contact information, sample scoring sheets and other information are available here.