NY State Awards More Than $25 Million for Water Quality and Climate Resiliency Projects in Jefferson, Herkimer, Lewis, and Oneida Counties

Go Explore NY
Jan 22
6 min read

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.