Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is accepting applications for $900,000 in competitive grants to fund projects that help improve water quality and reduce some forms of pollution.

The Water Quality Improvement Grant (WQIG) program is designed to encourage and fund successful community-based approaches and management techniques to protect and restore Arizona's available water so it meets water-quality standards.

For this batch of grants, ADEQ is placing an emphasis activities that benefit sub-watersheds. Funding priority is given to areas where ADEQ has established clean water plans, such as Granite Creek near Prescott, Oak Creek near Sedona, San Francisco River near Clifton and the San Pedro River near St. David.

The deadline for pre-proposals is 3 p.m. Nov. 4; final applications are due by 3 p.m. Dec. 9.

ADEQ expects to announce the grant recipients in April next year.

ADEQ conducts free workshops online and in person to help interested parties apply for the grants. The grant manual, request form and applications are available at www.azdeq.gov/wqig