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Two Lewis County Municipalities Receive State Financial
Assistance for Water Infrastructure Improvement Projects
Published: April 18, 2025 at
11:15 a.m.
By: linkinglewiscounty.com
Lewis County, NY- A pair of Lewis
County municipalities have been awarded financial assistance for water
infrastructure improvements.
On Thursday, Governor
Kathy Hochul announced the Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of
Directors approved over $175 million in financial assistance for water
infrastructure improvement projects across New York State. The Board's
approval, according to a press release
from the Governor’s office, authorizes municipal access to
low-cost financing and previously announced grants to get shovels in the
ground for critical water and sewer infrastructure projects to help make
projects more affordable, reducing the need for higher rate increases to
fund improvements.
“An investment in
our state's water systems is an investment in New Yorkers’ quality of life
– from safeguarding our drinking water to protecting the rivers and lakes
we use for recreation,” Governor Hochul said. “By ensuring
communities have the resources they need to complete crucial water
infrastructure projects, we can create good-paying jobs and boost local
economies while working toward a healthy environment for all New Yorkers.”
Environmental
Facilities Corporation (EFC) Board approved grants and financing to local
governments from the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds –
a mix of federal and state dollars dedicated to financing community water
infrastructure projects. State Revolving Fund interest rates are below market rate, and with long repayment periods,
communities may save significantly on debt service compared to traditional
financing.
The two projects
in Lewis County receiving funding are:
- Town of Diana – $5.1 million grant and low-cost
financing package for improvements at existing Well Nos. 1 and 3,
installation of an approximately 350,000-gallon drinking water storage
tank and new water mains.
- Village of Lyons Falls – $1.6 million grant and interest-free
financing package for the planning, design, and construction of
wastewater treatment plant improvements.
New Yorkers can
track projects benefiting from EFC’s investments using the
interactive project
impact dashboard. The map can be filtered by funding type and shows a
project’s stage of construction. Each project announced today will be
included on the map once the community executes a funding agreement with
EFC.
According to the
press release, New York State continues to increase its nation-leading
investments in water infrastructure, including more than $2.2 billion in
financial assistance from EFC for local water infrastructure projects in
State Fiscal Year 2024 alone. With an additional $500 million proposed for
clean water infrastructure in Governor Hochul’s FY26 Executive Budget, New
York will have invested a record $6 billion in water infrastructure since
2017.
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