Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

What Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation does

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is a state government regulatory agency operating within the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, alongside the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Headquartered at 1 National Life Drive in Montpelier with 251-500 employees, DEC delivers environmental protection, permitting, monitoring, and infrastructure financing services across six operational divisions: Watershed Management, Water Investment, Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection, Air Quality and Climate, Waste Management and Prevention, and Geology. The agency serves Vermont municipalities, residential property owners, businesses, and manufactured housing communities through a mix of direct permitting, financial assistance, and technical guidance.

DEC's core technology infrastructure is built around the ANR Online portal for permit applications, compliance reports, and fee payments; the Permit Navigator decision-support tool for project permit identification; the Natural Resources Atlas geospatial platform; and a searchable Well Completion Reports database. The agency manages two major federal-state financing vehicles — the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) — together with ARPA-funded initiatives including the $16M Healthy Homes On-Site Program (up to $30,000 per qualifying household) and the $26M+ Healthy Homes Manufactured Housing Communities Program. Service delivery is supported by five regional offices across Montpelier, Essex, Rutland, Springfield, and St. Johnsbury, plus the Environmental Assistance Office.

The agency's business model is government appropriations-based: it is funded through Vermont state appropriations and federal grants (primarily from the EPA), supplemented by permit and regulatory fee revenue. Grants are deployed to municipalities and partner organizations (e.g., $111,323 to Chittenden Solid Waste District for hazardous waste collection), while SRF loans and Healthy Homes grants flow to municipal water systems, residential property owners, and manufactured housing communities. DEC also partners with USDA Rural Development, the Vermont Department of Health, EPA, and a network of regional housing trusts for last-mile program delivery across all Vermont counties.

Name

Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

Legal name

Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

Website

https://dec.vermont.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is a state agency within the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources that administers environmental permitting, water infrastructure financing, and regulatory programs for municipalities, residents, and businesses across Vermont.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Regulatory Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIABAL

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/State/Provincial & Regional Government Administration

Keywords

• Environmental permitting
• Water quality monitoring
• Drinking water protection
• Wastewater management
• Environmental regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpelier

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State Government Funding: DEC operates as a state government agency funded through Vermont state appropriations and federal grants from EPA and other federal agencies for environmental programs including Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds
2. Grant Programs: DEC distributes grant funding to eligible organizations such as the $111,323 grant to Chittenden Solid Waste District for hazardous waste collection program support
3. Permit and Fee Revenue: Government fees collected for environmental permits, wastewater system permits, and related regulatory services to fund program operations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is a state government agency that issues environmental permits, monitors air and water quality, oversees hazardous and solid waste management, and administers federal-state financing programs for water and wastewater infrastructure. It also provides grant-based financial assistance to municipalities, manufactured housing communities, and income-qualified residential property owners for water and wastewater system improvements.

Product overview

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) operates as a multi-divisional government agency within the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. The DEC offers a portfolio of regulatory programs, financing mechanisms, and public assistance services rather than a unified commercial product. Core operational divisions include Watershed Management, Water Investment, Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection, Air Quality and Climate, Waste Management and Prevention, and Geology. Major financing programs include the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) for infrastructure projects, plus the ARPA-funded Healthy Homes Initiative for residential water/wastewater system repairs. Online tools include the Permit Navigator for permit identification and well/drinking water searchable databases. Services are accessed through the ANR Online portal and regional offices rather than a commercial software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Watershed Management Division Government division protecting Vermont's surface water resources including 800 lakes and ponds, 23,000 miles of rivers and streams, and 300,000 acres of wetlands.
• Water Investment Division Division administering the Clean Water Initiative, Water Infrastructure Financing, Watershed Planning, Dam Safety, and Agency Facilities Engineering Programs to fund and implement water quality projects.
• Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division Division managing Vermont's drinking water supplies, protecting groundwater resources quality and quantity, and regulating wastewater disposal activities.
• Air Quality and Climate Division Division implementing Clean Air Acts by monitoring and regulating air quality and air pollution sources statewide.
• Waste Management and Prevention Division Division overseeing the use, treatment, and handling of hazardous and solid wastes in Vermont.
• Geology Division Division protecting public health and safety through geologic mapping and identification of natural hazards.
• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Low-cost financing program for public water systems to plan and make capital improvements that improve public health and ensure Safe Drinking Water Act compliance, funded through EPA capitalization grants.
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Federal-state partnership providing low-cost financing for planning and constructing wastewater treatment and stormwater management infrastructure projects.
• Healthy Homes On-Site Program $16 million ARPA-funded program providing financial assistance for repair or replacement of failing on-site water and wastewater systems for residential property owners with household income below $80,835 per year.
• Healthy Homes Manufactured Housing Community Program Over $26 million ARPA-funded program providing technical and financial assistance to manufactured housing communities for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and drainage infrastructure improvements.
• Permit Navigator Online tool to assist individuals and businesses in determining what environmental permits may be required for planned projects on single parcels.
• Well Completion Reports Searchable Database Online database and mapping tool providing public access to well records including location, construction, and well logs for wells drilled in Vermont.
• Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Program Program issuing water/wastewater permits for soil-based wastewater systems with flows under 6,500 gallons per day, potable water supplies, and municipal water/sewer connections, with staff in five regional offices.
• Environmental Assistance Office Office providing permit assistance, project review sheets, and guidance on environmental regulations and compliance for individuals, communities, towns, and businesses.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chittenden Solid Waste DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2025DEC awarded $111,323 grant to CSWD to support its hazardous waste collection program which handles over 600,000 pounds of hazardous waste annually. The grant helps offset program operating costs exceeding $500,000 per year, with nearly $275,000 expected for proper waste disposal in FY2026.
• NeighborWorks Alliance of VermontminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides visual resource showing location of each alternate funding source for water and wastewater repairs across Vermont counties.
• Champlain Housing TrustminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOffers grants and loans for homeowners in Chittenden (except Burlington), Franklin, or Grand Isle counties earning less than 80% of area median income for their county. Loans up to $25,000.
• Rural EdgeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides loans or grants for residents of Caledonia, Orleans, or Essex counties earning less than 80% of area median income. Considered an emergency response program with grants (limited) and 3% rate loans.
• Downstreet Housing and Community DevelopmentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides loans for homeowners of Washington, Orange, or Lamoille counties earning less than 80% of area median income. Grants up to $5,000 and loans up to $20,000.
• NeighborWorks of Western VermontminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides grants and loans for low-income homeowners of Addison, Rutland, or Bennington counties. Grants (limited) and loans up to $25,000 or $50,000.
• Windham and Windsor Housing TrustminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides grants and loans for low-income residents of Windham and Windsor counties. Grants (limited) and loans up to $22,500.
• Rural Community Assistance Project (RCAP) SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides grants (limited) and loans up to $15,000 for low- and moderate-income households to replace individual household water supply or septic systems.
• Vermont Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with VDH on private water supply testing requirements, drinking water quality monitoring, and cyanobacteria bloom reporting and public health response.
• Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEC is one of three departments within ANR, along with Department of Fish and Wildlife and Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, sharing infrastructure, permits, and public outreach systems.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC): Another state's environmental conservation agency with analogous divisions covering water, air, waste, and remediation, and similar responsibilities for permitting, SRF financing, and environmental enforcement — the closest functional analog to Vermont DEC, just at significantly larger scale.
• New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES): Neighboring New England state environmental agency with overlapping jurisdiction over drinking water, wastewater, air quality, and waste management permitting — highly comparable service portfolio and customer base to Vermont DEC.
• Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM): Small-state environmental agency with comparable scope in air, water, land, and waste regulation — analogous operating scale and service mix to Vermont DEC.
• Maine Department of Environmental Protection: New England counterpart responsible for air and water quality, land/waste programs, and similar permitting authority — directly mirrors Vermont DEC's regulatory scope and rural-state customer profile.
• Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP): State-level consolidated environmental and energy regulatory agency with parallel functions in air quality, water, waste, and natural resources — directly comparable structure to Vermont DEC, with broader energy remit.
• Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP): Regional peer administering air, water, and waste programs plus state-level SRF financing for Massachusetts municipalities — directly comparable mandate and program structure to Vermont DEC.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Federal agency that sets the environmental standards Vermont DEC implements and provides capitalization grants for the SRF programs DEC administers — the upstream regulator and primary federal funding partner for Vermont DEC's activities.
• California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA): Large state-level umbrella environmental agency with broadly analogous air, water, and waste regulatory functions, but at much greater scale and with broader cross-media authority — provides a benchmark for how DEC's mandate could expand over time.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheVermontDEC
• Instagraminstagram.com/thevermontdec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation