BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESS RELEASE
The Klamath County Board of Commissioners will be accepting grant applications for homeowners whose domestic wells failed, or started failing, in 2021 and beyond due to drought. Grant applications for homeowners with reported domestic well complaints will open online on March 1, 2023 with no closing date at this time. Domestic well repair estimates are not required. Please visit the Klamath County website for grant details.
Derrick DeGroot, Chair, Klamath County Board of Commissioners, stresses that “persistent drought conditions, both natural and regulatory, continue to strain domestic wells in Klamath County leaving many of our friends and neighbors without basic running water in their homes. This should not be something that happens in this country. I am very grateful to the State of Oregon for providing these precious resources so we can help address this critical need in our community. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic well challenges, please reach out immediately so that our team of experts can get you the help you need.”
At this time, Klamath County has received $9 million in grant funding for impaired domestic wells. The first grant funding of $4 million dollars has been allocated to homeowners with impaired domestic wells. The average grant award is approximately 18 thousand dollars with a maximum Klamath County grant of 40 thousand dollars. It is often taking homeowners nearly a year to get a new well drilled.
" The level of need related to dry domestic wells exceeded the previous funding from the State, so the Board of Commissioners worked with legislators and stakeholders to successfully secure additional funding. Thank you to Salem for coming through on this. Please help spread the word to friends and neighbors about this new opportunity for assistance. Meantime, we continue to step up to help our citizens navigate this challenge," Commissioner Kelley Minty
In addition to the local domestic well grant assistance, there is a grant program through the State, assisting residents with fixed or limited income, to resolve their domestic well issues. If you are interested in learning if you qualify for the State program, visit Oregon Water Resources home page and click on the Well Abandonment Repair and Replacement Fund at: https://www.oregon.gov/owrd/programs/GWWL/WARRF/Pages/default.aspx
To report a dry or failing well, contact the Water Master office online at: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=Mmk_qnz6tEegzqWYytFhz4Hyx-6adLpHoIeA_GW8uANUQkZNOVkyTTlCRVhUUTFMUFdSQjBLVkNOUS4u
More information can be found at www.klamathcounty.org.