The State of Vermont Seeks Public Input on 2026 Clean Water Budget
The Clean Water Budget process presents an annual opportunity for the public to become involved in decision-making for clean water action in Vermont. The Clean Water Board is composed of representatives from five state agencies and four members of the public appointed by the governor. Every year, the Clean Water Board recommends a Clean Water Budget to the governor after considering feedback from the community. Members of the public can participate by commenting on the Budget by Sunday, November 17. If you have ideas for protecting and enhancing Vermont's water resources, sharing them with the Clean Water Board is the most effective way to see them realized.
The purpose of the Clean Water Budget is to fund projects, such as floodplain restoration, stormwater management, and lake management that protect and enhance water quality in Vermont for the sake of our communities and the natural environment. These clean water projects impact clean water across agricultural lands, roadways, natural resources, developed lands, and wastewater treatment.
Many of these projects contribute to Vermont’s Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). TMDLs are the maximum amount of any specific pollutant that can enter a waterway while meeting water quality standards. You can think of a TMDL as a pollution budget to ensure Vermont’s waterways remain clean.
Vermont’s large-scale nutrient TMDLs are in Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog and Long Island Sound Basins and target reductions of phosphorus and nitrogen pollution in our waterways. You may have firsthand experience of the effects of nutrient pollution if you have ever tried to go the beach during the summer but found that it was closed because of an unsafe cyanobacteria bloom.
This year the public comment process runs from October 18 through November 17. You can participate in three ways:
- Attend and voice comments at the Clean Water Public Hearing on November 8, 2024 at 8:00 AM (attend virtually or in person in Montpelier)
- Complete the State Fiscal Year 2026 Clean Water Budget Questionnaire
- Send written comments to ANR.Cleanwater [at] vermont.gov (subject: Clean%20Water%20Budget%20Comment) with the subject “Clean Water Budget Comment”
The Board is particularly interested in hearing from you to determine:
- whether each line-item is receiving enough funding
- whether there are additional clean water problems in the state that are not being addressed in the Budget
- whether you support the recommendations provided
Hearing your thoughts allows the Board to make an informed decision about how to best distribute funds to meet the needs of Vermonters and create a positive impact on the state’s waterways for years to come.
See the Clean Water Storymap for more background on the Board and Budget process and the Clean Water Board Webpage for more information on the State Fiscal Year 2026 Budget.