Grant Funding Available for Water Improvements in NY

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced $87 million in grants are available to municipalities and not-for-profit corporations for water quality improvement projects.

The program provides grants for projects that improve water quality, protect drinking water sources, reduce polluted runoff, and restore habitats in New York’s waterbodies. The grants are administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and made available through Governor Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

"New York is leading with critical investments in water infrastructure that protect long-term health, sustainability, and economic viability of communities across the state," said Governor Cuomo. "These grants will help ensure our communities have the resources necessary to protect our precious natural assets and help build a stronger, healthier and more prosperous Empire State for all."

Municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, and not-for-profit corporations are eligible to apply for the water quality improvement grants. Recipients can be reimbursed 40 to 85 percent of the project costs, depending on the type of project. Funding is available for:

• Municipal wastewater treatment
• Drinking water protection through land acquisition
• Salt storage
• Polluted runoff abatement and control from non-farm sources
• Aquatic habitat restoration and
• Municipal separate storm sewer systems

"Access to clean water is critical to the health and safety of our communities," said DEC Commissioner Seggos. "With Governor Cuomo’s leadership, millions of dollars are being invested to protect and restore invaluable water resources statewide. We encourage eligible communities to apply for funding."

Primarily funded by the Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 and Environmental Protection Fund, the grants will be awarded for a variety of projects, including:

• Up to $60 million in funding for municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Priority projects include: installing disinfection equipment; upgrading municipal systems to correct combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows; removing phosphorous or nitrogen in discharges; and constructing wastewater systems in communities with inadequate septic systems.
• Approximately $15 million in funding to protect sources of drinking water through land acquisition projects. Applicants can apply for funding to purchase land or conservation easements to protect surface drinking water supplies, protect groundwater drinking water supplies, or install in-waterbody practices to control nutrients.
• Approximately $1 million for projects to reduce nitrogen in Long Island waters.
• Up to $5 million in funding for projects to relocate a salt storage pile away from drinking water and/or construct structures to cover a salt storage pile.
• Approximately $6.45 million for projects to control polluted runoff from non-farm sources. Nonpoint source pollution comes from many sources and is difficult to control. It can occur when rainfall or snowmelt moves over and through the ground and picks up natural and human-made pollutants, which are then dumped into our waterways.

For more information on how to apply for a grant, click here. 

Read more: Sustainable City Network