- Reclamation
- R&D
- DWPR
Desalination and Water Purification Research Program
About DWPR Program
The Desalination and Water Purification Research Program (DWPR) works with Reclamation researchers and partners to develop more innovative, cost-effective, and technologically efficient ways to desalinate and treat water.
News & Media
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AWARDS
Reclamation awards $4 million for new and innovative water treatment technologies
(April 25, 2023) The Bureau of Reclamation awarded funding for 15 projects under the Desalination and Water Purification Research program. The research projects are innovative solutions that seek to reduce water treatment costs and improve performance. "Developing new technologies that can treat currently unusable water will help communities worldwide," said Research and Development Program Manager Ken Nowak. "These technologies have the potential to increase water supply flexibility under the risks of climate change and drought. Read More →
Project Descriptions -
NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Pitch to Pilot Funding Opportunity Available
(April 19, 2023) The Bureau of Reclamation released a funding opportunity through its Desalination and Water Purification Research Program. Reclamation is seeking to develop innovative and disruptive new technologies or processes. This unique funding opportunity is conducted in two-stages. Applicants are invited to submit their written research proposals by June 20, 2023, at 4 pm MDT. The submitted proposals will be reviewed and the highest scoring proposals will be invited to pitch their idea to a panel of experts. Up to $300,000 per applicant is available and approximately six to eight projects will be selected contingent on appropriations.
View opportunity on grants.gov -
AWARDS
Reclamation selects nine projects to receive $1.69 million to test innovative and new water treatment technologies
(November 29, 2022) The Bureau of Reclamation is providing $1.69 million to nine projects that offer innovative and novel water treatment technologies that may make previously unusable water available. The funding is being provided for the recipients to conduct pilot testing on their proposed technology.
"Reclamation has been supporting utilizing new and novel technologies for water resource development for 120 years," said Chief Engineer David Raff. "Water treatment technology is evolving rapidly, and these projects can improve and expand the accessibility to previously unusable water, especially for communities with some of the most urgent water needs.
Project Description -
NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Research Funding Opportunity Available
(September 13, 2022) The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking proposals to receive funding for desalination and water reuse research projects. Up to $2 million is available for entities to submit proposals for laboratory-scale and pilot-scale research projects to increase water supplies by reducing the cost, energy consumption, and environmental impacts of treating impaired or otherwise unusable waters. Applicants must submit their proposals by 4:00 p.m. MST on November 30, 2022. Read More →
View opportunity on grants.gov
NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITYDesalination and Water Purification Research Program Pitch to Pilot Funding Opportunity Available
(May 26, 2022) The Bureau of Reclamation released the 2022 Desalination and Water Purification Research Program Pitch to Pilot. It is available on grants.gov.
The objectives of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) are to develop innovative and disruptive new technologies or processes to:
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• Reduce the costs, energy requirements, and/or environmental impacts of treating impaired and unusable water to standards necessary for an identified beneficial use.
• Improve efficiency of water treatment processes—either by improvements to pre-treatment, post-treatment, monitoring, sensors, or other innovative process/technology.
• Increase effectiveness of reverse osmosis/nanofiltration concentrate management by reducing cost, energy, and/or environmental impacts.
•Treat brackish groundwater in a less energy-intensive way than current processes and technologies.
• Address costs, energy usage, and/or environmental impacts of seawater desalination, including intakes and/or outfalls.
• Improve the detection, characterization, monitoring, separation, or destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other contaminants of concern.
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NEWS - AWARDS
Reclamation provides $5.6 million to improve water treatment technologies
(March 8, 2022) The Bureau of Reclamation is providing $5.6 million in financial assistance to 15 projects to improve the technology used to treat unusable waters like seawater, brackish groundwater and municipal wastewater.
"There are technologies that show the potential to provide Western communities a new source of water," said Acting Commissioner David Palumbo. "Reclamation is supporting the study and development of these new technologies to make more water available for use." Read More →
News - AwardsReclamation Invests $1.6 Million in Nine Technologies That Focus on Improving Water Desalination and Treatment
(January 24, 2022) WASHINGTON - The Bureau of Reclamation chose nine recipients to receive $1.6 million in Desalination and Water Purification Research Program funding. This financial assistance will allow project sponsors to collaborate with Reclamation to design, construct, install and test their process.
2021 DWPR Pitch to Pilot Project Descriptions
DWPR – NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Research Funding Opportunity Available
(September 11, 2024) The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking proposals to receive funding for desalination and water treatment research projects. Up to $2 million is available for entities to submit proposals for laboratory-scale and pilot-scale research projects to increase water supplies by reducing the cost, energy consumption, and environmental impacts of treating impaired or otherwise unusable waters. Applicants must submit their proposals by 4:00 p.m. MST on November 13, 2024.View opportunity on grants.gov
NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Pitch to Pilot Funding Opportunity Available
(May 22, 2024) The Bureau of Reclamation released a Pitch to Pilot funding opportunity through the Desalination and Water Purification Research Program. Reclamation is seeking innovative water treatment pilot projects focused on increasing water supplies by reducing the cost, energy consumption, and environmental impacts of treating impaired and otherwise unusable water. This unique funding opportunity is conducted in two-stages. Applicants are invited to submit their written research proposals by July 24, 2024, at 4:00 pm MDT through grants.gov. These proposals will be reviewed and the highest scoring proposals will be invited to pitch their idea to a panel of experts. Up to $300,000 per applicant is available, and approximately five to six projects will be selected contingent on appropriations.
View opportunity on grants.gov.AWARDS
Reclamation announces $1.9 million in funding for DWPR Research projects
(April 17, 2024) The Bureau of Reclamation’s Desalination and Water Purification Research program awarded eight projects funding totaling more than $1.9 million. Reclamation selected the projects from 80 eligible applications all submitting pioneering solutions to desalination and water treatment technologies. Recipients of the project funding have provided an additional $1.4 million of non-federal cost share to further support these research efforts. Read More →
Project DescriptionsAWARDS
Reclamation announces $2.2 million in funding for Pitch to Pilot projects
(November 30, 2023) The Bureau of Reclamation chose eight recipients to receive $2.2 million in federal funding for Desalination and Water Purification Research, Pitch to Pilot Program. This financial assistance will allow project sponsors to collaborate with Reclamation to design, construct, install and test their innovative water treatment technologies with a total of $4.0 million in combined federal and cost share funding.
"Pilot-scale research projects are a crucial step in the water treatment technology development process," said Research and Development Program Manager, Ken Nowak. "These projects will further advance technologies needed to address nationwide water supply challenges and expand usable water supplies for communities in need." Read More →
Project DescriptionsWater Supply Forecast Rodeo - Funding
NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITYDesalination and Water Purification Research Program: Research Funding Opportunity Available
(September 12, 2023) The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking proposals to receive funding for desalination and water treatment research projects. Up to $2 million is available for entities to submit proposals for laboratory-scale and pilot-scale research projects to increase water supplies by reducing the cost, energy consumption, and environmental impacts of treating impaired or otherwise unusable waters. Applicants must submit their proposals by 4:00 p.m. MST on November 15, 2023.
View opportunity on grants.gov.
