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New York State Awards More Than $25 Million for Water
Quality and Climate Resiliency Projects in Jefferson, Herkimer, Lewis, and
Oneida Counties
Published: January 20, 2026
at 09:45 a.m.
By: Press Release
from NYS DEC
New York State Awards More Than $25 Million for Water
Quality and Climate Resiliency Projects in Jefferson, Herkimer, Lewis, and
Oneida Counties
Part of a More than $265 Million Statewide Investment
Complements Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the
State Historic $3.75 Billion Commitment to Water Quality
New York State
recently announced more than $25 million in grants to support 14 water
quality and climate resiliency projects in the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Region 6. The awards are part of more than $265 million in investments recently announced by Governor
Kathy Hochul to help protect drinking water, improve climate
resilience, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to
harmful algal blooms, and secure statewide access to clean water.
Today’s
announcement is supported by funding from multiple grant programs
administered by DEC and the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) and
investments from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental
Bond Act, Environmental Protection Fund, and other sources. The
programs—Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP), Non-Agricultural
Nonpoint Source Planning and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Mapping
Grant (NPG), and Resilient Watersheds Grant (RWG)—help protect communities
and water quality while reinforcing the State’s support for municipalities
by making these critical projects more affordable and minimizing the
financial burden on local taxpayers.
DEC Commissioner
Amanda Lefton said, “Since taking office, and most recently in the
2026 State of the State, Governor Hochul continues to provide unprecedented
resources to invest in climate resiliency and water infrastructure to
support communities across the State. With more than $265 million from
multiple programs, including $185 million supporting improvements in
environmental justice communities, the awarded projects will help
our municipal partners achieve meaningful reductions in flood risk,
protect drinking water, improve aquatic habitat, and safeguard residents
from increasingly severe weather events.”
EFC President and
CEO Maureen Coleman said, “Governor Hochul is investing billions in
water infrastructure every year to help local governments affordably
advance crucial water quality and resiliency projects. By pairing
Environmental Bond Act funding with other State
program funding to support new and signature programs, every dollar
goes further and brings New York closer to a safer, more sustainable
future. The new Resilient Watersheds Grant program will jumpstart
flood-mitigation projects in some of the most at-risk
communities while creating good-paying jobs that drive local
economies."
The funding
complements the historic environmental investments announced earlier this
week in the 2026 State of the State, building upon the record support for
New York State’s premier grant programs that fund critical water
infrastructure, protect drinking water, and safeguard
communities.
DEC Region 6
Awards
Herkimer County
Village of
Herkimer:
- $4.93 million through RWG for a project to replace
the culvert at Church Street and widen the channel, remove the culvert
at Maple Grove Avenue and restore the stream, and widen the channel
along German Street to 45 feet, which will mitigate recurring property
damage resulting from flooding and reduce Village response burdens and
allow for resources to be reoriented to other critical
projects.
Town of
Herkimer:
- $803,014 through RWG to support the acquisition of three homes on
East German Street Extension, part of a larger floodplain restoration
project funded by the New York State Department of
State.
Jefferson
County
Town of
Pamelia:
- $8.85 million through WQIP to for a rehabilitation
project to expand Sewer District No. 10 and improve existing
infrastructure by replacing 53 failing grinder pumps, installing a
parallel force main along Rt. 37, repairing and replacing manholes,
and rehabilitating 5 pump stations, which will improve water quality
in the Black River watershed.
Thousand Island
Land Trust:
- $2.48 million through WQIP to purchase approximately
115 acres of undeveloped land adjacent to the St. Lawrence River to
prevent nutrient inputs often associated with shoreline
development.
Town of
LeRay:
- $1 million through WQIP to purchase 180 acres of land within the
recharge areas of five municipal drinking water wells in the hamlets
of Evans Mills and Calcium to prevent future development and help
protect water quality within the aquifer.
Jefferson County
Soil and Water Conservation District:
- $400,000 through NPG to support MS4 mapping of eight member
municipalities which will enhance each municipality's ability to
identify and eliminate illicit discharges, prioritize maintenance,
plan for system upgrades, and improve water quality.
Lewis
County
Village of
Constableville:
- $1.32 million through WQIP for a culvert
rehabilitation project to replace a failing and undersized culvert
with a box culvert that will meet current design standards, reduce
erosion, restore aquatic connectivity, and reduce flood risk in the
Sugar River watershed.
Lewis
County:
- $1.15 million through WQIP for a project to replace
an undersized culvert that conveys the Deer River under Woodbattle Road in the Village of Copenhagen,
which will restore aquatic organism passage and improve flood
resilience.
Town of
Leyden:
- $552,485 through WQIP for a salt storage facility
construction project to replace an existing undersized salt/sand
storage shed, which will protect the water quality of Sugar River and
groundwater.
Town of
Turin:
- $321,186 through WQIP for a salt storage facility construction
project to protect the water quality of Mill Creek.
Oneida
County
Mohawk Valley
Water Authority:
- $2.5 million through WQIP for a project to
rehabilitate and increase spillway capacity of Utica Reservoir #2 Dam
in the Town of New Hartford and protect critical infrastructure
downstream.
Town of
Western:
- $146,380 through WQIP for a salt storage facility construction
project to replace an undersized salt structure, increase salt storage
capacity, and help to protect water quality in the Mohawk River
watershed and groundwater.
Village of
Clinton:
- $400,000 through WQIP to purchase a vacuum truck to
prevent drainage failures that contaminate water quality. The truck
will maintain MS4 stormwater infrastructure for the entire village and
will be shared with other municipalities in Oneida County. Acquiring
the truck will reduce sediment and pollution in the Lower Oriskany
Creek watershed.
More than $208
million was awarded to 131 projects statewide through DEC’s 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. View
a full list of grant awards.
A total of $2.9
million was awarded to 44 projects through DEC’s NPG program to fund the initial planning of WQIPs,
such as replacing undersized culverts, implementing green infrastructure,
and completing State permit-required storm sewer mapping in urban areas.
NPG projects reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff entering
lakes, rivers, and streams, and improve resiliency against the impacts of
climate change. View
a full list of grant awards.
In addition, $55
million in new grant funding was awarded to 24 climate resiliency projects
in 15 communities across New York State. EFC, in coordination with DEC,
administers the RWG program funded through the Environmental Bond Act. RWG
projects were selected to reflect the diverse, statewide issues that New
Yorkers are facing and include stream and floodplain restoration; removal
of dams, culverts and other barriers; culvert replacements; and property
buyouts. The RWG program builds on the success of DEC’s Resilient NY, which
delivers state-of-the-art studies of flood-prone, high-risk watersheds
across the state. All awarded projects were recommended actions by
Resilient NY studies or a comparable flood study. View a full list of
grant awards.
New York State's
Commitment to Water Quality Improvements
Governor Hochul
remains committed to ensuring New Yorkers have access to safe, clean
drinking water. As outlined in the 2026 State of the State, Governor Hochul is proposing a
bold five-year, $3.75 billion commitment to modernize New York State’s
water systems, providing $750 million annually to deliver clean water while
also unlocking the state’s economic potential. This historic funding level
will also continue to uplift and support New York State’s premier water
programs, such as WQIP, the Water Infrastructure Improvement program, and
the Lead Infrastructure Forgiveness and Transformation program. In
addition, the new Smart Growth Water Grant Program will fund the essential
sewer and water infrastructure required to build new housing and support
the state’s growing economy.
Since 2017,
Governor Hochul and the State Legislature have invested $6 billion in clean
water infrastructure to replace aging water mains, upgrade sewage treatment
plants, replace lead pipes, filter toxic PFAS chemicals, and much more. The
Governor’s new commitment would raise that total to nearly $10
billion.
About New York’s
Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond
Act
On November 8,
2022, New Yorkers overwhelmingly approved the $4.2 billion Environmental
Bond Act. State agencies, local governments, and partners will be able to
access funding to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate
change, improve resiliency, and create green jobs. Environmental Bond Act
funding will support new and expanded projects across the state to
safeguard drinking water sources, reduce pollution, and protect communities
and natural resources from climate change. A total of $1.9 billion is
invested to date. Learn more on the Environmental Bond Act website.
About the
Consolidated Funding Application
Some of the
grants announced were issued through the Consolidated Funding Application
(CFA) process. The CFA was created to streamline and expedite the grant
application process, marking a fundamental shift in the way State resources
are allocated by 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 tools 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 Consolidated Funding Application.
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