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Filter First - Healthy Hydration Grant Application

Filter First - Healthy Hydration Grant Application

The Filter First - Healthy Hydration program goal is to reduce childhood exposure to lead in drinking water at schools and licensed child care centers by requiring installation, maintenance, and testing of filters certified to reduce lead at the point of water consumption.

The Michigan state legislature appropriated $50 million in federal funding to reimburse districts, nonpublic schools, and licensed child care centers for the acquisition/installation of filtered bottle-filling stations, tap-mounted (faucet-mounted) water filters, water filter pitchers (filtered water pitchers), or universal cartridge water filters (replacement filter cartridges). Note: In-line filter costs do not qualify for this grant. In-line filters were not yet approved to meet the Filter First requirements at that time. 

Approximately $360,000 in grant funding remains to be awarded. Grant awards will be based on priority scoring. Additionally, if grant recipients are not able to utilize their full awards, these monies will be reallocated to new awardees based on priority scoring.

NOTE: Schools and child care centers previously awarded 2024 Filter First – Healthy Hydration grant funds are not eligible to receive additional funding at this time.

This grant application is a joint effort between EGLE and MDE. EGLE is administering the Filter First – Healthy Hydration requirements and funding approvals, while MDE is administering the aspects of the GEMS/MARS platform and final distribution notification of the award reimbursement.

  • View grant awardees

How to apply

The GEMS/MARS application will be open from September 8, 2025, through October 17, 2025. Applications are to be completed and submitted in the online application.

Applicant must have:

  1. A MiLogin account to get Michigan government services.
  2. An Educational Entity Master (EEM) account for access to state and federal grants.
  3. A SIGMA Vendor Self Service (SIGMA VSS) account to do business with the state.
  4. Active registration in SAM.gov and Unique Entity ID (UEI) for doing business with the federal government.

Contact us

For questions about how the grant is to be used to comply with Filter First – Healthy Hydration regulations, contact EGLE at EGLE-DWEHD-FilterFirst@Michigan.gov.

For questions on using the GEMS/MARS grant application, contact MDE at MDE-GEMS@Michigan.gov.

Licensed child care centers

  • Eligibility

    Michigan licensed child care centers per the Child Care Organizations Act 116 of 1973 definition.

    Child care centers must be registered in the Educational Entity Master (EEM) application developed by the Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI). EEM is required for access to state and federal grant applications, such as the Michigan Department of Education’s Next Generation Grant, Application and Cash Management system.

    A child care center must have information in EEM to utilize  the GEMS/MARS grant system to apply for the Filter First – Healthy Hydration grant.

  • Eligible use of funds

    Eligible use of funds may include:

    Filtered bottle-filling station (meeting all the following requirements):

    • Is connected to customer site piping.
    • Filters water and is certified to meet NSF/ANSI standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI standard 42 for particulate removal.
    • The flow rate through the station is paired to the specified flow rate of the filter cartridge.
    • Has a light or other device to indicate filter cartridge replacement status.
    • Is designed to fill drinking bottles or other containers for personal water consumption.
    • Includes a drinking fountain.
    • The station is certified to meet NSF/ANSI standard 61 Q<=1.

    Tap-mounted water filters

    • Must be certified to meet NSF/ANSI standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI standard 42 for particulate removal.

    Water filter pitchers

    • Must be certified to meet NSF/ANSI standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI standard 42 for particulate removal.

    Universal cartridge water filters

    • Must be filter cartridges featuring molded collars for the purpose of filtering organic and synthetic materials from drinking water in locations of need.
    • Must be certified to meet NSF/ANSI standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI standard 42 for particulate removal.

  • Ineligible use of funds

    Funds may not be used for the following:

    • Bottle filling stations that do not meet all the Filter First requirements.
    • Any filter that does not meet the NSF/ANSI standards 42 for particulate removal or 53 for lead reduction.
    • Purchase and/or installation of drinking fountains.
    • Indirect costs (rent, overhead, etc.).

  • Funding/Reimbursement

    • All school districts, nonpublic schools, and child care centers may apply. Grant awards are based on priority scoring by EGLE.
    • Awards are anticipated to be announced in early December.
    • Labor, bottle fill station, filters, and universal replacement cartridge costs must be incurred between October 24, 2023 and June 30, 2026.
    • The following must be submitted to EGLE-DWEHD-FilterFirst@Michigan.gov for reimbursement:
      • Paid invoice with grant eligible items clearly circled or noted
      • Financial Status Report (FSR)
      • Filter specification sheet

  • Priority scoring criteria

    All applicants will be scored based on the following criteria:

    Underserved community

    • Justice40 Parameters for Housing, Health, Legacy Pollution, and/or Water and Wastewater
      • 1 point per category, total 4 points
    • Environmental Justice
      • 5 points for >90
      • 4 points for >80
      • 3 points for >70
      • 2 points for >60
      • 1 point for >50
    • Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
      • 4 points for >41
      • 3 points for >28.8
      • 2 points for >21.3
      • 1 point for >14.5
    • Rural area defined by local codes “43-Rural: Remote” and “42-Rural: Distant”
      • 0 or 4 points, total 4 possible
    • Community with high free/reduced lunch
      • 0 or 2 points, total 2

    Use of funds priority scoring

    • Filtered bottle-filling station
      • 4 points
    • Tap-mount filter
      • 3 points
    • Water Filter Pitchers
      • 2 points
    • Universal replacement cartridges
      • 1 point
      • Limit to a 3-month supply/filter

Public and nonpublic schools

  • Eligibility

    Michigan public school districts, public school academies, and nonpublic schools per the Michigan Revised School Code, Act 451 of 1976 definitions.

    Public and nonpublic schools must be registered in the Educational Entity Master (EEM) application developed by the Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI). EEM was developed by CEPI to be a repository which contains directory information for entities (schools) in the educational system of the State of Michigan. EEM is required for access to state and federal grant applications, such as the Michigan Department of Education’s Next Generation Grant, Application and Cash Management system.

    A school district or nonpublic school must have information in EEM to utilize the GEMS/MARS grant system to apply for the Filter First – Healthy Hydration grant.

  • Eligible use of funds

    Eligible use of funds may include:

    Filtered bottle-filling station (meeting all the following requirements):

    • Is connected to customer site piping.
    • Filters water and is certified to meet NSF/ANSI standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI standard 42 for particulate removal.
    • The flow rate through the station is paired to the specified flow rate of the filter cartridge.
    • Has a light or other device to indicate filter cartridge replacement status.
    • Is designed to fill drinking bottles or other containers for personal water consumption.
    • Includes a drinking fountain.
    • The station is certified to meet NSF/ANSI standard 61 Q<=1.

    Tap-mounted water filters

    • Must be certified to meet NSF/ANSI standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI standard 42 for particulate removal.

    Universal cartridge water filters

    • Must be filter cartridges featuring molded collars for the purpose of filtering organic and synthetic materials from drinking water in locations of need.
    • Must be certified to meet NSF/ANSI standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI standard 42 for particulate removal.

  • Ineligible use of funds

    Funds may not be used for the following:

    • Bottle filling stations that do not meet all the Filter First requirements.
    • Any filter that does not meet the NSF/ANSI standards 42 for particulate removal or 53 for lead reduction.
    • Purchase and/or installation of drinking fountains.
    • Indirect costs (rent, overhead, etc.).

  • Funding/Reimbursement

    • All school districts, nonpublic schools, and child care centers may apply. Grant awards are based on priority scoring by EGLE.
    • Awards are anticipated to be announced in early December.
    • Labor, bottle fill station, filters, and universal replacement cartridge costs must be incurred between October 24, 2023 and June 30, 2026.
    • The following must be submitted via email to the EGLE-DWEHD-FilterFirst@Michigan.gov for reimbursement:
      • Paid invoice with grant eligible items clearly circled or noted
      • Financial Status Report (FSR)
      • Filter specification sheet

  • Priority scoring criteria

    All applicants will be scored based on the following criteria:

    Underserved community

    • Justice40 Parameters for Housing, Health, Legacy Pollution, and/or Water and Wastewater
      • 1 point per category, total 4 points
    • Environmental Justice
      • 5 points for >90
      • 4 points for >80
      • 3 points for >70
      • 2 points for >60
      • 1 point for >50
    • Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
      • 4 points for >41
      • 3 points for >28.8
      • 2 points for >21.3
      • 1 point for >14.5
    • Rural area defined by local codes “43-Rural: Remote” and “42-Rural: Distant”
      • 0 or 4 points, total 4 possible
    • Community with high free/reduced lunch
      • 0 or 2 points, total 2

    Use of funds priority scoring

    • Filtered bottle-filling station
      • 4 points
    • Tap-mount filter
      • 3 points
    • Universal replacement cartridges
      • 1 point
      • Limit to a 3-month supply/filter

Supporting documents and resources

For grant application

For reimbursement

Note: Only Filter First - Healthy Hydration grant awardees may submit a reimbursement request. A reimbursement request must be submitted to and approved by EGLE-DWEHD-FilterFirst@Michigan.gov before funds will become available in NexSys for drawdown.