New York is handing out nearly $500 million in state grants to 106 water infrastructure projects worth a combined $1.4 billion, touching communities from the Capital Region to Western New York. The money covers everything from lead service line replacement to sewer upgrades meant to keep untreated wastewater out of local waterways.
The awards mark the first installment of Gov. Kathy Hochul's $3.75 billion clean-water investment plan, which was folded into the 2027 Enacted State Budget, according to WRGB. State officials project the funding will save recipient communities about $1 billion in debt-service costs and support roughly 22,400 jobs in construction and related industries such as engineering, manufacturing and local services.
Of the total, $119 million is set aside as enhanced grants for drinking-water compliance and wastewater and sewer work in small, rural and disadvantaged communities, with projects named in Avon, Camden, Chenango, Elizabethtown and Friendship. Another $64 million is earmarked for identifying and replacing lead service lines, building on more than $600 million in lead-line grant commitments the state has made since 2021.
Technical Help Steers $120 Million More to Local Towns
A separate $120 million is going to municipalities that worked with the Environmental Facilities Corporation's Community Assistance Teams, a technical assistance program the station reports Hochul expanded in 2023 to help small, rural and disadvantaged communities complete applications, access funding and tackle water infrastructure needs.
EFC President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman called the funding a major affordability tool for communities, saying the grants protect the environment, drinking water and New Yorkers' finances while helping ensure projects are not delayed by costs, the same report notes. New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said the grants will help communities address long-standing and emerging threats to drinking water.
Region-by-Region: Who's Getting What
The Capital Region is receiving $40 million for 14 projects, including two grants totaling $6.5 million for the Village of Menands for lead service line replacement and drinking-water treatment improvements. Central New York is getting $64 million for 10 projects, among them $25 million for an Oswego County regional wastewater infrastructure initiative.
In the Finger Lakes, $52 million is funding 14 projects, including nearly $10 million for the Village of Avon's wastewater treatment project aimed at improving water quality in the Genesee River, as FingerLakes1 also reported. Long Island is receiving $57 million across 12 projects, including $7.8 million for Suffolk County's Fairfield at St. James Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion, which officials say will ultimately connect more users to the municipal sewer system.
The Mid-Hudson region is getting $66 million for seven projects, including $10 million for the Town of Poughkeepsie for lead service line replacement. Mohawk Valley is receiving $37 million for six projects, including $8.9 million for the Village of Camden to protect Fish Creek and Oneida Lake.
North Country, Southern Tier and Western New York Round Out the List
The North Country is set to receive $65 million for 10 projects, including $14 million for Elizabethtown to establish a municipal sewer and wastewater treatment system. The Southern Tier is getting $26 million for seven projects, including $6.9 million for the Town of Chenango to protect drinking water from emerging contaminants.
Western New York rounds out the regional list with $67 million for 15 projects, including $4.6 million for the Town of Friendship for sewer improvements meant to protect and improve water quality in the Genesee River basin. New York City, meanwhile, is receiving $25 million for a tank project at the North River Water Pollution Control Plant, a facility that treats up to 170 million gallons of wastewater every day. The improvements are intended to prevent untreated sewage from bypassing the system.
Gov. Hochul said her administration will continue providing communities with financial support and tools to protect public health and natural resources while keeping investments affordable. The grants are part of a broader set of water infrastructure improvement and intermunicipal water infrastructure awards the state says are meant to modernize aging systems and support sustainable growth and economic development.
