Community Water Development Fund
The Community Water Development Fund is provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and administered by LAWPRO. This fund supports community groups to enhance the quality of local streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. The fund has been in place since 2017, with growing interest year on year.
The standard of applications for funding is high, making the assessment process more difficult. The fund delivers a broad range of water projects that benefit the amenity of local areas. Types of projects approved for funding include:
- Awareness raising initiatives such as river clean ups, biodiversity information boards, citizen science workshops, outdoor classrooms, rainwater harvesting, and enhancement of wetlands.
- Preparation of local plans such as feasibility studies, habitat management plans, ecological surveys, and biodiversity action plans.
- River and habitat enhancement works such as planting of native species and hedgerow, pollinator friendly planting, river-bank stabilisation, fencing and riparian buffer zones.
The Community Water Development Fund is supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, under the Water Action Plan for Ireland 2024-2027.
Watch our Community Water Development Fund 2026 information webinar:
For more information, please read:
Slides from the presentation used in the Community Water Development Fund webinar
Community Water Development Fund 2026 Guidelines
Find out more about projects funded through our Community Water Development Fund 2025:
Logos
Recognition must be given to the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) as fund promoter and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage as the principal funder in any promotional material associated with projects and/or events resulting from this funding stream.
Download the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) logo here – DOWNLOAD
Download the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage logo here – DOWNLOAD