New York state has approved $434 million in grants and low-cost financing for water and sewer infrastructure projects across the state.
The funding will support improvements to aging drinking water and wastewater systems, stormwater infrastructure, water mains, treatment plants and sewer networks. State officials say the investment will help communities complete needed construction while limiting the cost passed on to local residents.
The funding was approved by the board of directors of the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp. (EFC). Communities receiving the funding can now enter into agreements with the EFC and begin accessing the approved financial assistance.
Projects included in the latest round have completed required environmental reviews and met other program requirements.
New York City Receives $361 Million
New York City received the largest portion of the funding, with $361 million in low-cost financing for 11 drinking water and sewer projects.
The latest funding brings total EFC financial assistance for those projects to approximately $1 billion.
The projects include major work across the city’s water and wastewater systems, including:
- Excavation and construction of Shafts 17B-1 and 18B-1 for City Tunnel No. 3, Stage 2 in Queens.
- Construction of a second water conveyance tunnel connecting Kensico Reservoir with the Catskill/Delaware Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility in Eastview.
- Improvements to Hillview Reservoir, including work to cover the 900-million-gallon reservoir.
- Design and construction of primary treatment improvements at the Wards Island Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility.
- Installation of backup power equipment at the Jamaica Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility.
- Sludge thickening improvements at the Oakwood Beach Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility.
- Improvements to the Borden Avenue Pump Station.
- Construction of the 235th Street Pump Station to help reduce combined sewer overflows.
- Rehabilitation of the 108th Street Pump Station.
- Replacement of main sewage pumps at the Coney Island Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility.
- Headworks improvements at the Port Richmond Water Resource Recovery Facility, including replacement of aging equipment that is about 50 years old.
Projects Across New York State
The funding also supports water and sewer projects in communities throughout the state.
In the Capital Region, the Village of Corinth will receive $1.6 million in state grants to replace approximately 5,217 linear feet of sanitary sewer, 5,542 linear feet of storm sewer and 22 manholes along Palmer and Gobel avenues. The project is expected to reduce groundwater and stormwater entering the sewer system through aging clay pipes.
In the Finger Lakes, the City of Canandaigua will receive $4.8 million in low-cost financing for headworks improvements at its water resource recovery facility. The work is intended to address wet-weather overflow events and protect water quality in the Canandaigua Outlet.
Several projects are planned in the Hudson Valley. The Town of Amenia will receive $3.9 million for improvements to its drinking water treatment plant, groundwater source, storage and distribution systems. The Village of Pawling will receive $2.8 million in state and federal grants to improve five wells, a treatment facility and approximately 2,000 linear feet of water main.
The Town of Warwick will receive $16 million in grants and interest-free financing for planning, design and construction work at the Wickham Sewer District No. 1 Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Long Island Projects
Long Island will also receive funding for major water infrastructure work.
The Town of Riverhead will receive $17.6 million in interest-free financing to construct sludge facilities at its water resource recovery facility and waste facility.
The Suffolk County Water Authority will receive $2.8 million in state grants to install granular activated carbon treatment systems at several wells. The equipment will be used to remove PFAS from drinking water.
Water Infrastructure Projects in Other Regions
In the North Country, the Town of Lorraine will receive $4.4 million in federal grants and low-cost financing to connect to the Village of Adams water system. The project includes approximately 14,000 linear feet of new water main for Water District No. 1.
The Town of North Elba will receive $5.4 million for sewer collection system improvements designed to reduce groundwater and stormwater entering the system and protect the Chubb River.
In the Southern Tier, the Town of Bainbridge will receive $4 million for sewer improvements that will improve performance during wet-weather events and protect the Susquehanna River.
The Town of Bath will receive a $1.2 million state grant for design and construction of the Lake Salubria sewer extension. The completed project is expected to take 127 failing septic systems out of service.
The Village of Painted Post will receive $8.2 million in grants and low-cost financing for improvements to Well No. 4 to improve water quality and water supply capacity.
In Western New York, the City of North Tonawanda will receive a $1.5 million state grant for green infrastructure stormwater measures and separate storm sewer improvements along Oliver Street.
Funding Aims to Reduce Costs for Residents
The latest investment comes through several state and federal programs, including the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, the Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grant programs and the Green Resiliency Grants program.
New York says its revolving fund programs provide more than $1 billion each year in grants and low-cost financing to communities across the state.
Since 2015, the state’s water infrastructure grant programs have helped save ratepayers more than $8.3 billion, according to state officials.
The goal of the latest funding is to help municipalities address aging infrastructure before failures become more expensive while reducing the amount communities need to recover through local water and sewer rates.
The projects also represent a significant pipeline of construction work involving water mains, sewer systems, treatment facilities, pumping stations, stormwater controls and other critical infrastructure.
