National Water Supply Expansion Program

Frequently Asked Questions

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National (NWSEP)

Q1.  What is the National Water Supply Expansion Program?

The NWSEP is a four-year, $60-million program administered by the federal government, in partnership with provincial governments across Canada, to provide federal assistance to reduce the risk of future water shortages through the planning and development of secure water sources for agriculture.

Q2.  Where is this program being implemented?

The NWSEP will be implemented in the agricultural areas of Canada - British Columbia, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces.

Q3.  When does NWSEP start? When does it end?

NWSEP is implemented through federal/provincial agreements signed with each province. NWSEP will take effect immediately upon signing of each fed/prov agreement.

Q4.  Who is eligible for assistance?

Eligible applicants for NWSEP assistance include:

• individual farmers and ranchers
• agri-business
• rural enterprises

To be eligible, projects must have an agricultural water supply component.

Q5.  Who is not eligible for assistance?

• golf courses
• residential acreages
• commercial ventures not related to agriculture

Q6.  Does the applicant have to own the land the project will be situated on or can it be rented/leased?

The applicant must control the land either as an owner or through a lease or other agreement.

Q7.  What types of projects are eligible for assistance?

Individual on-farm water infrastructure such as dugouts/ponds, off stream storages, wells, pasture pipelines etc. which provide safe and reliable water supplies for agriculture producers.

Q8.  Are there technical standards that each project must meet to be eligible for assistance?

Yes, for some types of projects (e.g. dugouts), projects may have to be a minimum size to be eligible. This is required so that the project provides a secure and reliable supply in times of drought. Some projects may also be required to contain design elements that protect the water supply from future contamination (e.g. draining of water back into a well will not be allowed). Applicants are encouraged to enquire about project requirements and design elements before submitting an application.

Q9.  Are replacement wells eligible?

No. The program will focus on the planning and development of new water supplies in rural agricultural Canada.

Q10.  What is the maximum amount of financial assistance available?

• Approved projects may receive a maximum federal contribution of one-third (1/3) of eligible costs to a project maximum of $5,000
• Applicants are eligible for a program maximum of $15,000.

Q11.  Where can I get an application?

Refer to the province-specific information presented below for the application deadline in your province. Each application is accompanied with a guide to assist the applicant in filling out the application.

Q12.  How do you determine which projects will receive financial assistance?

The NWSEP is a proposal driven program whereby eligible applicants are required to submit a completed application for assistance before the application deadline. All accepted applications undergo a screening and rating process to ensure program funds are directed to those projects that best meet the program objectives and priorities.

The screening process involves several questions on the application. If the project does not meet the program objectives and local priorities then the project is screened out and will not be considered further.

Applications that are screened into the process are then rated against a rating guide which has built in flexibility to reflect current conditions. Each rated proposal will be assigned a numerical rating value. Funds will be assigned to the list of rated projects such that projects with higher ratings will receive funding ahead of projects with lower ratings until all funds are committed.

Q13.  When is the application deadline?

Refer to the province-specific information presented below for the application deadline in your province. Each application is accompanied with a guide to assist the applicant in filling out the application.

Q14.  When will I know if I am a successful candidate?

Successful applicants are informed of the amount of assistance they will be receiving and will be given a project completion deadline date. Failure to complete the project by the deadline may result in the financial assistance being revoked.

Q15.  Can I start my project before I am approved for assistance?

No. Financial assistance must be given before the project is initiated.