Governor Hochul Announces $249 Million in Grants Awarded to 181 Water Quality Protection Projects Across New York State

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $249 million in grants for 181 projects to further improve water quality across the state. The grants support projects that help protect drinking water, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms and improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat in communities statewide. More than $206 million of the funding will support water quality improvements for environmental justice communities which may be disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution. This announcement supplements more than $10 billion in water infrastructure improvements and clean water projects investments by New York State since Governor Hochul took office.

“Access to clean water is a fundamental human right, which is why under my administration New York has made record investments to improve water quality across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “Today’s grants build upon those historic investments helping our local communities upgrade essential infrastructure, enhance resiliency against flooding caused by severe weather and protect habitat and water quality for all New Yorkers.”

More than $246 million will help support 139 projects through the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) successful Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant program. WQIP grants fund projects that directly improve water quality or habitat, promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency or protect a drinking water source. A full list of WQIP grant awards can be found here.

Additionally, more than $2.9 million will help support 42 projects through DEC’s Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Planning Grant (NPG) program. NPG projects help pay for the initial planning of water quality improvement projects, such as undersized culvert replacements and green infrastructure technologies, and State permit-required storm sewer mapping and stormwater management planning in urban areas. NPG projects will reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff entering lakes, rivers and streams, and improve resiliency against the impacts of climate change. A full list of NPG grant awards can be found here.

Senator Pete Harckham said, “The DEC’s targeting of $249 million for water quality protection projects, including $2.5 million to shore up the dam and spillway at Wiccopee Reservoir, the source of Peekskill’s drinking water, underscores how important these investments are for the safety of our residents and the economic vitality of our municipalities. I thank Governor Hochul, Commissioner Lefton and my colleagues in the State Legislature for their strong support of this forward-thinking initiative.”

Assemblymember Dana Levenberg said, “There is perhaps no more important task for government than ensuring the safety and quality of basic needs like water. I was proud to work with my colleagues to pass a budget that will help us ensure that adequate funding goes toward addressing this need, and thank the Governor and her administration for their continued attention to the infrastructure needs of my district."

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Under the leadership of Governor Hochul, New York State is delivering critical investments for climate resiliency and water infrastructure projects to support local communities. The nearly $300 million awarded through the Water Quality Improvement Project and the Non-Agriculture Non-Point Source Grant programs reduce flood risk, protect drinking water and aquatic habitats, and safeguard New York’s critical natural resources in communities all across the state.” 

New York State continues to prioritize funding for projects that may help decrease the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Sixty-three WQIP and NPG awarded grants, totaling approximately $122 million, will support projects in watersheds known to have experienced HABs in the past five years and/or help implement a project identified in a DEC HABs Action Plan.

Additionally, New York continues to prioritize road salt reduction efforts to protect public health and the environment through the “Don’t Be Salty, New York” campaign. $17 million of Clean Water Infrastructure funding will be used to implement proper salt storage and road salt reduction best management practices, including brine-making equipment and brine storage tanks, and retrofitting snowplows with live edge or segmented flow blades, plow guards, truck mounted brine spreading equipment, and GPS sensors.

WQIP Project Highlights

More than $42 million of funding provided under the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act will be used to implement 49 WQIP projects. WQIP projects include municipal wastewater treatment upgrades, nonpoint source abatement and control, land acquisition projects for source water protection, salt storage construction, vacuum trucks for municipal separate storm sewer (MS4) areas, dam safety repair, rehabilitation and removal, aquatic connectivity restoration, marine habitat restoration and fish and wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement.

Some highlights from the 139 projects funded in this round that showcase the breadth and scope of WQIP awards include:

Wastewater Improvement Projects:

Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority - $10 million for Sewer Extension (Central New York): The Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority will install a low-pressure sanitary sewer system along nine miles of Cayuga Lake in Ledyard and Genoa, connecting homes that are currently using failing individual onsite septic systems. The wastewater will be conveyed to the Village of Aurora wastewater treatment plant and will help improve and protect the water quality of Cayuga Lake.
Niagara Falls Water Board - $10 million for Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades (Western New York):Niagara Falls Water Board will upgrade the existing wastewater treatment to a biological treatment process to meet new effluent permit limits and improve the water quality of the Niagara River.
Town of Elizabethtown - $10 million for New Wastewater Treatment Plant (North Country): The Town ofElizabethtown will construct a new wastewater treatment plant to replace failing individual onsite septic systems. The proposed wastewater treatment plant will improve water quality within the Boquet River and Lake Champlain watershed, protect public health and establish the critical treatment infrastructure necessary to support a sustainable wastewater management system for the community.

Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Projects:

Madison County Soil and Water Conservation - $95,571 for Streambank Stabilization (Central New York): The Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District will stabilize approximately 1,000 linear feet of severely eroding streambank and establish new riparian vegetation,reducing the sediment and phosphorus load to the DeRuyter Reservoir.
Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District - $ 48,360 for Roadside Stabilization Program (Southern Tier): The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District will stabilize roadside drainage at critical sites throughout multiple municipalities in the county. Hydroseeding and roadside stabilization will prevent nutrients and sediment from reaching local waterways.

Land Acquisition Projects to Protect Drinking Water Sources:

Town of Canandaigua - $475,000 for Drinking Water Protection (Finger Lakes): The Town of Canandaigua will work through a partnership with the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council, Friends of Canandaigua Lake, and a private landowner to permanently protect land near Canandaigua Lake. The proposed 35-acre acquisition and water quality enhancement project will benefit water quality by preserving open space, eliminating new development and restoring natural features to help filter pollutants.

Vacuum Trucks for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) Areas:

Chemung County - $400,0000 for New Vacuum Truck (Southern Tier): Chemung County will acquire a vacuum truck to conduct regular cleanouts of catch basins and stormwater infrastructure throughout 10 regulated MS4 communities. Purchasing the truck will reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Salt Storage and Road Salt Reduction:

City of New Rochelle - $400,000 for Road Salt Reduction (Mid-Hudson): The City of New Rochelle will implement a citywide road salt reduction program and purchase segmented plow blades and truck-mounted brine spray systems in an effort to utilize liquid salt brine. The project will reduce rock salt use and chloride loading to the local streams, improving water quality.
Franklin County - $600,000 for Salt Storage (North County): Franklin County will construct a fully enclosed sand and salt storage building to cover exposed salt and sand piles. This project will reduce salt runoff and improve water quality in the Lower Salmon River and the Lower Trout River watersheds.

Dam Safety Repair/Rehabilitation and Dam Removal:

City of Peekskill - $2.5 million for Dam Deficiency Improvement (Mid-Hudson): The City of Peekskill will repair the Lower Wiccopee Dam to address inadequate spillway capacity and structural deficiencies. The improvements will enhance dam safety, compliance with regulatory requirements, and reduce flood risk to downstream infrastructure.
Rensselaer County - $1.5 million for Dam Safety Improvements (Capital Region):Rensselaer County will rehabilitate the Burden Lake dam to address the eroding embankment and failing structural design. The improvements will increase spillway capacity and help reduce flood risk to downstream critical infrastructure.

Aquatic Connectivity Restoration:

Town of Annsville - $2 million for Aquatic Passage Restoration (Mohawk Valley): The Town of Annsville will replace an undersized and functionally inadequate culvert. The new structure will be designed to restore natural stream processes, improve hydraulic capacity and support increased aquatic organism passage.

Marine District Habitat Restoration:

National Audubon Society - $ 1,690,172 for Salt Marsh Restoration (Long Island): The National Audubon Society will restore approximately 70 acres at Sunken Meadow Salt Marsh through elevation enhancement, hydrological restoration and invasive species control.

Fish and Wildlife Habitat Restoration and Enhancement:

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper - $940,617 for Riparian Corridor Enhancement (Western New York): Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper will restore degraded riparian and floodplain habitat within the upper reaches of Cayuga Creek. The project will implement nature-based strategies, including floodplain reconnection, wetland creation and riparian reforestation, to restore fish and wildlife habitat.

NPG Highlights

Examples of the 49 projects funded in this round that highlight the breadth and scope of NPG awards including:

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Mapping:

Ulster County - $400,000 for Comprehensive MS4 Mapping (Mid-Hudson): Ulster County will complete comprehensive stormwater infrastructure mapping of 12 municipalities within the county’s MS4 area to meet requirements of the MS4 General Permit.

Nonpoint Source Planning Reports:

Suffolk County - $50,000 for Lake Ronkonkoma Culvert Study (Long Island): Suffolk County will create a Stream Culvert Assessment Report for culverts in the Lake Ronkonkoma Watershed to improve water quality and reduce flooding.

Stormwater Management Program Planning:

City of Troy - $50,000 for Stormwater Management Plan Development (Capital Region): The City of Troy will develop a new stormwater management program plan that meets current MS4 permit requirements and includes necessary recordkeeping and documentation updates, monitoring location inventory upgrades and prioritization, identification of focus areas, identification of system vulnerabilities, and municipal operating procedures.

Sources of Funding
WQIP is primarily supported by the state's 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), and Clean Water Infrastructure funding; NPG is supported by the EPF. The 2026-27 enacted State Budget maintains the EPF at $425 million and uses an additional $25 million from the Sustainable Future Program to provide a record $450 million for critical environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, enhanced recreational access, water quality improvement, and an aggressive environmental justice agenda.

New York's Commitment to Clean Water

Under Governor Hochul, New York State continues to increase its historic investments in water infrastructure. The enacted 2027 budget announced by Governor Hochul sets the national standard with a transformational $3.75 billion water infrastructure investment plan, building on $10.6 billion provided to clean water infrastructure projects since 2021. To leverage these investments and ensure ongoing coordination with local governments, the Governor supports EFC’s Community Assistance Teams in coordination with State agencies to provide proactive outreach for one-on-one consultations to help municipalities prepare strong applications. New Yorkers can view projects benefiting from DEC’s water grant programs using the interactive grant data portal.

About the Consolidated Funding Application

The grants announced today were issued following completion through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process. The CFA was created to streamline and expedite the grant application process. The CFA process marks a fundamental shift in the way State resources are allocated, ensuring less bureaucracy and greater efficiency to fulfill local economic development needs. The CFA serves as the single-entry point for access to economic development funding, ensuring applicants no longer have to slowly navigate multiple agencies and sources without any mechanism for coordination. Now, economic development projects use the CFA as a support mechanism to access multiple State funding sources through one application, making the process quicker, easier, and more productive. Learn more about the CFA.

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