17 Dec
Chapter News, New York Related News

Governor Cuomo Announces $75 Million in Grants to Local Governments for Water Infrastructure Improvements

Grants Leverage $440 Million in Water Quality Investments, Providing $284 Million in Savings for Taxpayers

Governor Cuomo announced $75 million in grants to support 45 drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects throughout New York State. This funding will leverage more than $440 million in total project costs to improve New York’s infrastructure and is expected to save local taxpayers over $284 million through a 59 percent reduction in municipal costs.

“New York invests more to protect water-quality and strengthen water infrastructure than any state in the nation,” Governor Cuomo said. “These grants will make it easier for localities to make the critical upgrades that ensure their water systems continue to provide New Yorkers with safe, high-quality water.”

The New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2015 was established as part of the 2015-2016 New York State Budget and provides $200 million in grants over three state fiscal years. Funding is administered by the Environmental Facilities Corporation, and the Departments of Health and Environmental Conservation.

Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan, said, “I am pleased today to join the Governor and my colleagues in the Legislature, including Senate Environmental Conservation Chair Tom O’ Mara, to announce a series of local government grants designed to improve water quality and save taxpayers more of their hard-earned money. At the end of the day, there’s nothing more important than ensuring clean water for the residents of our state. We must continue to partner with local governments to address their infrastructure needs in a manner that is both cost-effective and taxpayer-friendly.”

New York State Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said, “This announcement of water infrastructure funding is a significant investment in the future success of counties and municipalities throughout the state. These projects will improve essential systems and alleviate a significant tax burden residents would face if not for the states investment. I would like to thank Steve Englebright, Chairman of the Environmental Conservation Committee, for his leadership on this issue.”

In addition to grants, EFC provides interest-free and low-interest loans to communities to further reduce the cost of infrastructure projects. The grants announced today are expected to be supplemented with more than $362 million in interest-free and low-interest loans, allowing for a more fiscally sustainable investment for these communities.

The municipalities receiving grants are:

County

Municipality

Grant Amount

Estimated Loan Amount

Estimated Total Project Cost
Albany Albany MWF Authority

$ 1,750,000

$ 5,250,000

$ 7,000,000
Albany Coeymans, Town of

$ 843,814

$ 2,531,442

$ 3,375,256
Broome Binghamton, City of

$ 5,000,000

$ 174,340,240

$ 179,340,240
Broome Endicott, City of

$ 906,250

$ 2,718,750

$ 3,625,000
Cattaraugus Ashford, Town of

$ 1,923,840

$ 1,282,560

$ 3,206,400
Cattaraugus Carrollton, Town of

$ 273,375

$ 820,125

$ 1,093,500
Cattaraugus Cattaraugus, Village of

$ 1,231,200

$ 768,800

$ 2,052,000
Cattaraugus Ellicottville, Village of

$ 1,322,250

$ 3,966,750

$ 5,289,000
Cattaraugus Little Valley, Village of

$ 1,267,975

$ 3,803,925

$ 5,071,900
Cattaraugus Olean, City of

$ 4,725,160

$ 14,175,480

$ 18,900,640
Chautauqua Dunkirk, City of

$ 2,000,000

$ 7,000,000

$ 9,000,000
Chautauqua Hanover, Town of

$ 1,340,500

$ 4,021,500

$ 5,362,000
Chenango Greene, Village of

$ 1,662,500

$ 4,987,500

$ 6,650,000
Cortland Cortland, City of

$ 995,725

$ 2,987,175

$ 3,982,900
Dutchess Pawling, Village of

$ 1,708,566

$ 1,139,044

$ 2,847,610
Dutchess Poughkeepsie, City of

$ 2,000,000

$ 9,688,000

$ 11,688,000
Erie Buffalo Sewer Authority

$ 3,009,500

$ 9,028,500

$ 12,038,000
Essex Willsboro, Town of

$ 746,326

$ 2,238,978

$ 2,985,304
Franklin Malone, Village of

$ 3,125,000

$ 9,375,000

$ 12,500,000
Franklin Saranac Lake, Village of

$ 1,751,250

$ 5,253,750

$ 7,005,000
Greene Tannersville, Village of

$ 2,000,000

$ 1,457,998

$ 3,457,998
Greene Windham, Town of

$ 1,491,434

$ 3,202,066

$ 4,693,500
Herkimer Dolgeville, Village of

$ 512,500

$ 1,537,500

$ 2,050,000
Montgomery Fort Plain, Village of

$ 273,000

$ 819,000

$ 1,092,000
Nassau North Hempstead, Town of

$ 450,000

–

$ 1,800,000
Oneida Utica, City of

$ 1,033,750

$ 3,101,250

$ 4,135,000
Orange Cornwall, Town of

$ 1,151,720

$ 3,455,159

$ 4,606,879
Orange Middletown, City of

$ 150,000

$ 450,000

$ 600,000
Oswego Phoenix, Village of

$ 1,593,750

$ 4,781,250

$ 6,375,000
Rensselaer Rensselaer, City of

$ 2,000,000

$ 6,039,964

$ 8,039,964
Rensselaer Troy, City of

$ 884,250

$ 2,652,750

$ 3,537,000
Saratoga Mechanicville, City of

$ 508,760

$ 1,960,000

$ 3,960,000
Schuyler Watkins Glen & Montour Falls, Villages of

$ 5,000,000

$ 17,547,099

$ 22,547,099
St. Lawrence Gouverneur, Village of

$ 1,336,200

$ 890,800

$ 2,227,000
Steuben Bath, Village of

$ 3,125,000

$ 9,375,000

$ 12,500,000
Suffolk Babylon, Town of

$ 1,800,000

$ 1,309,622

$ 3,109,622
Sullivan Liberty, Town of

$ 403,187

$ 1,209,560

$ 1,612,747
Tioga Waverly, Village of

$ 4,576,121

$ 13,763,879

$ 18,340,000
Tompkins Trumansburg, Village of

$ 2,000,000

$ 2,400,000

$ 4,400,000
Warren Glens Falls, City of

$ 1,058,438

$ 3,175,313

$ 4,233,751
Wayne Wolcott, Town of

$ 2,625,000

$ 7,875,000

$ 10,500,000
Wyoming Arcade, Village of

$ 117,250

$ 351,750

$ 469,000
Wyoming Arcade, Village of

$ 1,136,924

$ 3,410,771

$ 4,547,695
Wyoming Perry, Village of

$ 1,755,450

$ 5,266,349

$ 7,021,799
Yates Penn Yan, Village of

$ 315,000

$ 945,000

$ 1,260,000

Totals

$ 74,880,964

$ 362,406,599

$ 440,128,804

A project map with detailed information on each grant recipient is available here.

New York State Senate Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Thomas O’Mara said, “We’re hopeful that ongoing state assistance will prove successful in helping localities undertake these critical projects, including sewer and pipeline repairs. We’re also hopeful that it can represent a long-term model for how the state-local partnership can be strengthened for the good of local environments, local economies and local property taxpayers by helping municipalities meet critical infrastructure needs while remaining within the property tax cap.”

New York State Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Steve Englebright said, “These water infrastructure grants were created to help local taxpayers by having the state provide grants to improve water quality. I am delighted that the program is providing real benefits in this first round of funding. All most every town and village on Long Island has projects that could be helped through these water infrastructure grants.”

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Acting Commissioner and EFC Board Chair Basil Seggos said, “Upgrading our clean water infrastructure is essential to protecting our environment and sustaining our continued economic recovery. We are grateful for Governor Cuomo’s leadership and the legislature’s hard work in helping to dedicate these critical funds. DEC is proud to work with EFC in advancing these important projects across the state and look forward to working with these communities on their successful implementation.”

New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation President and CEO Sabrina Ty said, “This funding will be instrumental in strengthening the infrastructure of our water systems throughout the state and will protect and improve both public health and the environment. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York remains committed to advancing environmental infrastructure projects at the lowest possible cost.”

EFC invests more than $1 billion each year to fund water-quality improvements through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, the largest and most active revolving loan funds in the nation.

More information on how to apply for these loans are available at www.efc.ny.gov/CWSRF (for wastewater projects) and www.efc.ny.gov/DWSRF (for drinking water projects).