Governor Kathy Hochul announced $479 million in grants for critical water infrastructure projects, including the first funding awarded through the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022, which was passed by voters after Governor Hochul pushed to increase the total amount by $1 billion immediately upon taking office. New York State is empowering municipalities by providing the financial resources necessary to undertake water quality projects crucial to safeguarding public health, protecting the environment, bolstering communities’ climate readiness, and promoting economic development. The funding announced is projected to save local ratepayers an estimated $1.3 billion and create 24,000 jobs across the state. The grants are awarded by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, in coordination with the Departments of Health and Environmental Conservation, and are part of the State's nation-leading commitment to modernize aging water and sewer systems.
"No one in New York should ever fear that they don't have access to clean water," Governor Hochul said. "We are reassuring communities across New York that your kids, grandkids, and great grandkids will always have access to clean and safe water. This investment will make life saving improvements to our water infrastructure and safeguard drinking water for millions of people, in addition to saving New Yorkers money and creating tens of thousands of jobs."
The grants announced include nearly $450 million awarded through the State's Water Infrastructure Improvement (WIIA) and Intermunicipal Grant (IMG) programs. Funding for this round is made possible with $249 million from Governor Hochul’s historic commitment to water quality infrastructure, and $200 million from the Environmental Bond Act. The WIIA and IMG programs were named as tools in the voter-approved Bond Act to help leverage funding for water quality and resilient infrastructure improvements.
The complete list of WIIA and IMG awardees, including an interactive map and projects by region, is available on the Environmental Facilities Corporation’s (EFC) website.
An additional $30 million is being made available via the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and EFC to targeted counties through the State’s Septic System Replacement Program. These grants support home and small business owners with funding for more environmentally effective systems.
Today’s announcement was made in Suffolk County, where $20 million from the septic program will help address the hundreds of thousands of substandard or failing septic systems and cesspools that significantly impair water quality. Today’s investment builds upon more than $40 million in grants to Suffolk County since the program began. An additional $17 million in WIIA and Bond Act grants are being awarded to Suffolk County communities and public authorities for projects that install treatment equipment that will protect drinking water from emerging contaminants and other system improvements.
Governor Hochul's announcement will help Long Island's water providers update their aging water infrastructure. Long Island is almost entirely dependent on a sole-source aquifer and helping water providers protect this valuable and unique groundwater source is vital to ensuring millions of people in Nassau and Suffolk counties have clean water to drink. This is just one more step the Governor is taking to ensure the people of Long Island have access to clean water.
Environmental Facilities Corporation President & CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, “New York State is bringing new investment, modern infrastructure, and good-paying jobs to communities, with over half the funding announced today benefitting disadvantaged communities and environmental justice areas. One of the main components of the Bond Act is providing significant funding for water infrastructure. Pairing state investments with Bond Act funding for this enhanced round of grants will help ensure taps are delivering safe drinking water to New Yorkers and that wastewater facilities continue to protect the environment and can withstand the impacts of climate change.”
EFC administers the WIIA and IMG programs working closely with DOH and DEC. EFC collected public comment on draft eligibility criteria starting in March and solicited applications for eligible projects this summer, including outreach during the statewide Bond Act listening sessions.
With today’s announcement, local governments will be able to access project funding to advance Bond Act priorities of water quality protection, climate change readiness, resiliency, and green job creation.
