Each year, the NRD provides funding to individuals and communities to improve and protect water quality in the district. 

In 2021, the village of McCool Junction applied for the NRD's Municipal Water Quality Assistance Program as they sought to drill a new well to address the nitrate contamination issue in their community and to provide potable water to residents. The interlocal agreement between the village and NRD was extended into 2023.  

Since the village had previously received funds through this program within the last five years, the maximum funding they were eligible to receive was $41,650.00. 

In February 2023, the Village of McCool Junction submitted their receipts for cost-share assistance on the newly completed municipal well. The total project cost was $722,850.92 and the district’s share was $41,650.00. Typically, the majority of this type of project cost is funded with low interest municipal loans or grant funds, so the NRD funds are only one component of the overall project. 

This program is intended to provide assistance to communities for improvements in their water system to mitigate the impacts of non-point source groundwater contamination for the protection and public health of the community’s residents. The reasons for system improvements must be related to the impacts of contamination from pollution sources which are non-point in nature, not from point source contamination. General modification, improvement, or expansion of a water well or distribution system are ineligible activities.

Eligible communities include incorporated cities and villages whose wellhead protection area lies, all or in part, in the district and who have a Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy approved wellhead protection or drinking water protection plan. A community must be facing present or imminent threat of the water supply from non-point pollution and making plans for infrastructural modifications to continue to provide their residents clean, potable water.

The district will provide financial assistance to the city or village in the amount not to exceed 25% of the local share of project cost.

Aquifer Quality Well Abandonment Cost-Share Assistance Program (AQWACAP)

The AQWACAP program provides cost-share for the proper decommissioning of abandoned wells.  Wells must be decommissioned according to Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services System regulations governing water well abandonment standards. All water wells are regulated by the NDEE through NAC 178 (Nebraska Administrative Code). All decommissioning activities must be conducted by a licensed pump installation contractor or well contractor. 

Properly decommissioning wells is essential to protecting the water quality of the groundwater supply, as old wells can be a potential contamination hazard.

The cost-share rate offered to district residents through this program is 60% of the actual labor and materials. The maximum cost-share rate for the proper plugging of wells of various casing diameters is $750.

In the 2022-2023 budget year, $42,756.34 was distributed through this program to assist with the cost of decommissioning 58 wells.