For Immediate Release: 11/10/2021

Division of Boating and Waterways Offering $1.088 Million in Grants for the Deployment of Floating Restrooms

Contact:
Newsroom@parks.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) is now accepting grant applications from public government agencies for the purchase and deployment of floating restrooms on California inland lakes and reservoirs. Interested applicants should review the grant guidelines and submit a grant application to DBW by 5 p.m. (PST) Friday, Dec. 10, 2021.

A total of $1.088 million in federal and state funding is available this year for the purchase and deployment of approximately eight DBW-designed, ADA-compliant and solar powered floating restrooms. Grants are also available to offset the ongoing operation and maintenance costs of these units through a Sewage Management Equipment Operations and Maintenance grant.

To be eligible for funding, grant applicants must operate a California lake or reservoir that is open to the public. General information on the grant requirements and the online application can be found on DBW’s floating restroom grant webpage located at: dbw.parks.ca.gov/FloatingRestroomGrants.

The competitive grant applications will be scored and ranked according to need, as well as the ability to operate and maintain the floating restrooms for at least 10 years. DBW expects to announce grant recipients in spring 2022.

The Floating Restroom Grant Program is available through the Clean Vessel Act, which is funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program and the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund. The program helps reduce pollution from recreational boater sewage by providing floating public restrooms in areas with limited landside access. More than 260 floating restrooms have been placed on California lakes and reservoirs through this grant program since 1972. The holding tanks capture about 500 gallons of sewage. About 119 restrooms are currently deployed. Combined, that’s over one million gallons of sewage kept out of our waterways each year.

Floating restroom shown above during December 2019 deployment at Lake Berryessa. The floating restrooms available for the 2021/22 grant cycle were designed by California State Parks engineering group. Each ADA-compliant unit holds about 500 gallons of sewage and can be towed to the shore for scheduled pumpouts or pumped out onsite by pumpout boats. Photo from Division of Boating and Waterways.

Floating restroom shown above during December 2019 deployment at Lake Berryessa.The floating restrooms available for the 2021/22 grant cycle were designed by California State Parks engineering group. Each ADA-compliant unit holds about 500 gallons of sewage and can be towed to the shore for scheduled pumpouts or pumped out onsite by pumpout boats. Photo from Division of Boating and Waterways.




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