A $750,000 grant program is accepting proposals for projects to improve water quality in the county.

The county’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, is offering the Clean Water Montgomery Grant Program, according to a press release. Funding is intended for “local, community-driven” projects aimed at improving water quality.

Projects cannot be conducted in Rockville, Gaithersburg and Takoma Park because those communities manage their own stormwater, the release said. Projects in the rest of the county are eligible.

County-level nonprofit groups such as local watershed groups, homeowner and community associations, faith-based organizations, and service and civic groups may be able to receive grants ranging from $40,000 to $100,000.

The grant program accepts applications in the following categories: community outreach and stewardship projects, community-based restoration projects, tree planting and restoration projects, and waste reduction projects in the Anacostia River basin. The program accepts proposals for projects such as tree planting, laying permeable pavers, and building rain gardens, the release said.

The call for proposals and further information can be found on the funding programme website. Applications must be submitted by 4pm on Thursday 14 November.

In a written statement, Marc Elrich, the county’s executive director, said, “By supporting these projects that address stormwater runoff and pollution, promote education and build stewardship, we are giving local organizations the opportunity to play a critical role in restoring and maintaining the health of our waterways.”

A drought warning has been in effect for the area since the end of July.

The county and the Chesapeake Bay Trust have managed the program for the past decade. It is funded by the county’s Water Quality Protection Fund. Elrich said 123 projects have received $5.6 million in funding over the past decade.