North Country communities to use $30 million in state grants for water-improvement projects

Communities in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties will use a total of nearly $30 million in state-grant funding for water-infrastructure projects.

The 18 grants are part of the second round of state water grants funded through New York’s Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release.

The projects primarily include the planning, design and construction or “enhancement” of treatment plants, pump stations, sewer systems and equipment, as well as upgrades and replacements for drinking-water systems, filtration plants, and water mains.

New York based the grant awards on a scoring system that gave “priority” to projects that result in the greatest water-quality improvement or reduction in risk to public health and are “positioned” to advance to construction, among other considerations, Cuomo’s office said.

In addition to grants, the state’s Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) provides interest-free and low-interest loans to communities to further reduce the cost of infrastructure projects.

The grants are expected to be supplemented with nearly $83.7 million in interest-free and low-interest loans, providing a “more fiscally sustainable investment for these communities,” the governor contends.

“Investing in water-infrastructure improvements it key to fostering growth for local communities in the North Country and across New York,” Cuomo said in the release. “These grants will make necessary upgrades to replace aging infrastructure while easing the burdens on local property tax levies and literally laying the groundwork for the future.”

A full list of the grant recipients, loan amounts, and projects involved is available in the news release at Gov. Cuomo’s website.

The 2016-17 New York State budget includes $100 million in grants for water-infrastructure improvements.

The additional funding allowed the EFC to broaden eligibility for wastewater projects and provide a total of $175 million in grants for round two.

In addition, the state increased the maximum grant amount for drinking-water projects from $2 million to $3 million, or 60 percent of eligible projects costs, whichever is less, Cuomo’s office said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com