Press Release from Kootenai County Board of Commissioners
Do you have an innovative project that could enhance groundwater quality protection? If so, we have exciting news for you! Applications are now open for funding opportunities aimed at supporting initiatives dedicated to safeguarding our groundwater resources.
The Aquifer Protection District (APD) is pleased to announce funding opportunities for aquifer-protection projects for Fiscal Year 2026 (October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026). Projects eligible for funding may encompass educational programs, water quality, storm water, critical
materials, and community projects associated with aquifer protection.
Please submit your application online at www.kcgov.us/APDFunding by March 3, 2025 to be considered.
Who Should Apply?
The APD encourages all interested parties to apply for funding. Join us in our mission to protect and preserve our groundwater quality. Your project could help make an incredible impact in the community!
Generally speaking, your proposal will be evaluated based on three main criteria:
- Support one or more APD priorities.
- Occur in Kootenai County and/or provide a Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer Protection District benefit(s) to residents and agencies within Kootenai County.
- Be completed and fully expensed within the funding period (one year). For more information detailing the criteria please visit https://www.kcgov.us/336/AquiferProtection-Board.
What is the Application Process?
The application process is streamlined for your convenience. Interested parties are encouraged to submit an application, followed by a brief presentation to the Aquifer Protection District (APD) in late March or early April.
Should the APD select your project for consideration, the final approval for funding rests with
the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), which will take place during the upcoming fiscal
year. This means your project could receive crucial financial support to bring your groundwater
initiatives to life!
What is the Aquifer Protection District (APD)?
The APD was approved by the voters and established by the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners in 2007 for the protection of groundwater quality in the Spokane Valley Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.
In 1996, federal funding for the protection of the Sole Source Aquifer was discontinued, emphasizing the significance of the APD’s support for programs and projects aimed at preserving its quality. It is now the responsibility of Washington and Idaho, each governed by their respective laws and regulations, to finance and implement protection initiatives.
Kootenai County collects a parcel fee from every parcel of land in Kootenai County within the aquifer boundary to fund the APD’s work program through Idaho Statute Title 39 Chapter 5. According to the statute, the maximum fee authorized per dwelling unit shall not exceed twelve dollars ($12.00) annually, collected through Property Tax. Since the APD was founded in 2007, the parcel fee has never been more than $8.00 and the current Aquifer Protection fee is $5.74 per parcel per year. The revenue from these parcel fees are used to fund Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer protection projects in Kootenai County.
