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 $18 million in grants to support 12 water quality and climate resiliency projects in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Region 1. 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 1 Awards

Nassau County

• Nassau County Department of Public Works:
• $10 million through WQIP to upgrade the Cedar Creek Wastewater Pollution Control Plant in Wantagh to prevent sediment intrusion into the Bay Park Conveyance project. The project will reduce nitrogen discharges, improving the water quality in Reynolds Channel and Cedar Creek watershed. 

• North Shore Land Alliance, Inc.:
• $1.29 million through WQIP for the acquisition of more than four acres within Oyster Bay Cove, a designated special groundwater protection area, which will help protect Long Island’s sole-source aquifer from potential runoff and pollutants. 

• Village of Flower Hill:
• $50,000 through NPG to prepare an engineering design report for new drywells at locations that experience flooding due to excessive stormwater. 

• Village of Roslyn Harbor:
• $50,000 through NPG to prepare an engineering design report for stormwater retrofits to address inadequate stormwater management in a residential area.

Suffolk County

• Suffolk County:
• $5 million though WQIP for the acquisition of 34 acres of mostly forested land adjacent to Smithtown Bay to protect the water quality of Long Island’s sole-source aquifer. 

• Town of Brookhaven:
• $918,750 through WQIP for the acquisition of approximately two forested acres in the Central Pine Barrens to protect the area from future development and protect the underlying drinking water aquifer. 
• $293,600 through WQIP for the purchase of plow guards and salt brine equipment to enhance snow removal, reduce salt-laden runoff into nearby surface waters, and minimize salt intrusion into Long Island’s sole-source aquifer. 

• Town of Huntington:
• $232,500 through WQIP to use native vegetation and riprap for parts of Huntington Harbor’s shoreline to reduce pollutant discharges and erosion, restore natural habitats, and enhance local resilience to sea level rise and coastal storm surges on Long Island Sound.
• $75,000 through NPG, in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension, to help protect Huntington Harbor water quality by conducting field investigations and data collection to support expanded GIS-based MS4 mapping.   

• Village of Huntington Bay:
• $50,000 through NPG to produce a nature-based shoreline stabilization plan to address shoreline erosion along Oyster Bay. 

• Village of Sag Harbor:
• $34,091 through NPG to develop an engineering study to replace failing on-site septic systems in the Redwood neighborhood with a decentralized wastewater collection and treatment system to reduce nitrogen and pathogen loading in Sag Harbor Cove. 

• Friends of Bellport Bay Inc.:
• $30,000 through WQIP to transplant one million oyster larvae, grown by Cornell Cooperative Extension, to oyster gardens to be deployed in several locations within Bellport Bay to improve spawning habitat, water quality, and overall marine habitat through the oyster’s filter-feeding capabilities.  

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. A full list of grant awards can be found here. 

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. A full list of grant awards can be found here.  

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. A full list of grant awards can be found here. 

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 at www.environmentalbondact.ny.gov.

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 CFA here.