Vermont's waterways nurture ecosystem wellbeing, supply safe drinking water, strengthen tourism, buoy property values, and provide recreational opportunities like fishing, swimming, and boating.
For the benefit of current and future generations of Vermont’s people and wildlife, the state has made a long-term commitment to the Clean Water Initiative to provide the mechanisms, staffing, and financing necessary so that our waterways achieve and maintain compliance with the Vermont Water Quality Standards (10 V.S.A § 1387).
The Clean Water Board recommends the annual Clean Water Budget, which provides funding to help municipalities, farmers, and others implement projects that will restore, enhance, and protect Vermont’s water quality, including addressing priority sources of nutrient and sediment pollution.
Learn more about the Clean Water Initiative, Board and Budget with our StoryMap. The Clean Water Board StoryMap is a user-friendly description of the Board and Budget process. It outlines the following:
- Vermont's Water Quality Priorities and Challenges
- Vermont's Commitments to Clean Water
- Budgeting: Today's Clean Water Board
- Clean Water Solutions
- Reporting Progress
- Understanding the Budget
- How to Get Involved
For more information, contact ANR.CleanWaterVT@vermont.gov, or subscribe to the Clean Water Stakeholder Listserv to be notified of upcoming Clean Water Board meetings, Public Hearings, and opportunities to provide input on the annual State Fiscal Year Clean Water Budget.
Visit the Clean Water Board Meetings webpage for upcoming meeting details and to view past meeting materials and minutes.
State Fiscal Year 2026 Budget
Each year, the Clean Water Board builds a Clean Water Budget recommendation intended to achieve the greatest water quality gain for the investment. The Board will meet throughout the fall to obtain feedback and approve the draft State Fiscal Year 2026 Budget.
The Clean Water Budget Public Comment Process runs from October 18th - November 17th, 2024.
The public can share whether they think funding levels are sufficient, whether they agree with the priorities, and if they have other recommendations. The Board will review public comments before making its final Clean Water Budget recommendation in December 2024.
Public Comment Period Introduction Video - This two minute video gives a quick summary of why we want to hear your voice and an overview of ways to participate in the Public Comment Period
Here are some resources to familiarize yourself with the current Budget Proposal. If you're new to this, consider first taking a scroll through the Clean Water Board StoryMap:
Clean Water Budget at a Glance:
- SFY 2026 at a Glance - A quick, visual summary of the SFY 2026 draft budget.
- SFY 2026 Draft Clean Water Budget Plain Language Table -This table provides a plain language snapshot of each Clean Water Budget line-item.
Clean Water Budget Deep Dive:
- State Fiscal Year 2026 Draft Budget Sheet
- State Fiscal Year 2026 Policy Document
- State Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Background and Line-Item Recordings
We want to hear your thoughts! Here are some ways you can participate in the Public Comment Process:
- Attend the Clean Water Board Public Hearing on November 8, 2024
- Complete the SFY 2026 Clean Water Budget Questionnaire (Open from 10/18/24 - 11/17/24)
- Send in a written comment to ANR.CleanWater@vermont.gov with subject line "Clean Water Budget Comment"
Interagency Clean Water Initiative Reports
Visit the Reports webpage to view annual reports on clean water funding and water quality progress. There you will find:
-
Vermont Clean Water Initiative Annual Performance Reports. This annual report series, prepared by the Secretary of Administration, summarizes state investments to address priority water quality problems across Vermont.
-
Other Reports. Available reports include annual federal funding reports related to water quality improvement efforts in Vermont, Vermont Nonpoint Source Management Program annual reports, and others.
Clean Water Fund Contingency Reserve Guidelines
The purpose of these Guidelines is to support continuity in the Clean Water Board's decision by documenting best practices for revenue monitoring and reconciliation already employed by the Board. These Guidelines also provide transparency for Clean Water Budget stakeholders and the public on the importance of maintaining the Reserve to mitigate risk. The Guidelines will remain in effect until such time that the Clean Water Board modifies these Guidelines.