New York awards $225 million in grants for water quality projects statewide

New York has allocated over $225 million to 165 initiatives aimed at improving water quality throughout the state. These grants will fund projects focused on safeguarding drinking water, modernizing outdated infrastructure, addressing causes of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and enhancing aquatic habitats.

Of the total funding, more than $197 million is dedicated to improving water quality in communities that have faced a disproportionate burden of environmental pollution.

These projects, funded through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant program, also seek to reduce flood risks, support restoration efforts, strengthen flood and climate resilience and safeguard drinking water sources.

Additional initiatives funded by the Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Mapping Grant (NPG) focus on early-stage planning for non-agricultural water quality improvements. These include replacing undersized culverts, implementing green infrastructure technologies and mapping storm sewer systems in urban areas as required by state permits.

Collectively, these efforts will decrease polluted stormwater runoff into lakes, rivers and streams while bolstering resilience against climate change impacts.

This round of WQIP awards was funded through the state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF); the Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA); the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act (Bond Act); and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Nearly half of the grants awarded through the WQIP and NPG programs, amounting to roughly $102 million, will fund projects within watersheds affected by algae blooms over the past five years or support initiatives outlined in a DEC HABs Action Plan. Additionally, $15 million will be dedicated to implementing proper salt storage and best management practices for reducing road salt use.

The full list of grant recipients is available online. Major projects include:

New York City Department of Environmental Protection – $15 million for Combined Sewer Overflow Reduction: The city will construct improvements to the Hunts Point sewer outfall to reduce combined sewer overflows and improve the water quality of the Bronx River.

Chemung County – $10 million for Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure Nutrient Reduction: The county will complete upgrades as part of the larger Chemung County Sewer District Consolidation project, which includes decommissioning the Lake Street Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and moving flows to the Milton Street WWTP. The project will reduce the amount of nutrients entering the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Town of Mina – $10 million for Wastewater Treatment Facility and Collection System: The town will construct a new wastewater treatment facility and sanitary sewer collection system to remove properties from failing onsite systems. The project will reduce the amount of phosphorus entering Findley Lake.

Riverkeeper, Inc. – $2.5 million for Dam Removal: Riverkeeper will remove Crystal Lake Dam in the town of Highland. The removal will protect homes, roads and the railroad downstream from potential flooding.

Westchester Land Trust, Inc. – $1.6 million for Croton Drinking Water Protection: More than 200 acres will be purchased to protect New York City’s drinking water sources. The land trust will acquire parcels of undeveloped forested land in the town of Southeast to support source water protection.

City of Rome – $1 million for Dam Restoration: Rome will stabilize and repair Boyd Dam, which holds the primary water supply for Rome and other communities. Repairs will include concrete work and improvements to the earthen dike.

Town of St. Armand – $1 million for Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements: The town will upgrade its wastewater treatment facility by adding a disinfection system, improving the water quality of Sumner Brook and the Saranac River.

Photo courtesy Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons