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 7. 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 7 Awards

Broome County

• Town of Chenango:
• $560,000 through WQIP to construct a salt storage facility to cover an uncovered salt pile; the new structure will protect water quality in the Lower Chenango River watershed and groundwater. 

• Friends of the Upper Delaware River, Inc.:
• $458,537 through WQIP to conduct an in-stream stabilization and floodplain reconnection project along Oquaga and Fly Creek, helping to improve flood resiliency, aquatic habitat, and water quality in the Upper Delaware River Watershed, a designated Wild-Premier trout river.

• Village of Endicott:
• $400,000 through WQIP to purchase a vacuum truck to clean and service more than 1,000 catch basins to help improve water quality for Brixius Creek and the Lower North Susquehanna River watershed. 

• $50,000 through NPG to create an engineering feasibility study for green infrastructure practices to be installed at parking lots in the village's business district; the feasibility study will address the integration of bioinfiltration basins, permeable pavement, and open space for the purpose of reducing localized flooding and improving pollutant removal. 

• Broome County:
• $400,000 through WQIP to purchase a new vacuum truck to reduce sediment flow from catch basins discharging into the Minor Tributaries to Lower North Susquehanna River and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

• Broome County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $360,000 through WQIP for a project to construct a salt stage facility in the Town of Lisle, which will help prevent salt runoff from entering Dudley Creek and protect groundwater.

• City of Binghamton:
• $50,000 through NPG for an engineering feasibility study for proposed green infrastructure practices at Calvin Coolidge Elementary School near Chamberlain Creek. The study will provide initial design for bioretention and rain gardens and explore the feasibility of installing other green infrastructure practices. 

• $50,000 through NPG to assess multiple culverts on Chamberlain Creek, including designs to upgrade six undersized culverts along the stream channel that, when implemented, will help reduce localized flooding and stormwater runoff. 

• $50,000 through NPG to produce a streambank stabilization plan for a portion of Chamberlain Creek impacted by significant flooding; the plan will include design for grade control and stabilization of the stream corridor. 

• Village of Johnson City:
• $50,000 through NPG to complete an engineering feasibility study for green infrastructure practices, such as bioretention, which are being explored to reduce excessive stormwater that causes flooding along major travel corridors within the Village. 

• Town of Union:
• $45,600 through WQIP to purchase 15 live-edge plow blades to improve winter road maintenance and reduce the need for road salt; the project will protect water quality in Patterson Creek, the Susquehanna River watershed, and groundwater. 

Cayuga County

• Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $448,000 through WQIP to work with local municipal partners to complete hydroseeding to stabilize road ditches. The program will reduce erosion and improve water quality throughout Cayuga County. 
• $285,200 through WQIP to purchase live edge plow blades, weather sensors, and truck-mounted brine spreaders to reduce excess road salt application county-wide, protecting the water quality of drinking water supplies including Owasco Lake. 

Madison County 

• Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $225,000 through WQIP for a project to replace a perched and undersized culvert in the Town of Lincoln, including installation of a natural-bottom box culvert to restore aquatic organism passage and improve flood resilience of Limestone Creek. 

Onondaga County 

• The Finger Lakes Land Trust, Inc.:
• $1.51 million through WQIP for a project working with landowners to acquire or place perpetual conservation easements on four parcels to protect Skaneateles Lake, a public drinking water source, which will protect a combined 308 acres and more than 10,000 feet of stream frontage on tributaries to Skaneateles Lake. 

• Village of Skaneateles:
• $1.44 million through RWG for a project to realign the stream near 1416 East Genesee Street inside Finger Lakes Land Trust's conservation area; another stream will be stabilized within the privately-owned Lee Farm through a partnership with the City of Syracuse and Skaneateles Lake Watershed Agricultural program.

Oswego County 

• Town of Richland:
• $164,000 through WQIP to construct a salt storage facility to cover an uncovered salt pile and protect water quality in the Salmon River watershed. 

Tioga County 

• Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $264,000 through WQIP to stabilize 1,000 feet of Owego Creek and create a riparian buffer which will reduce erosion, improve water quality, and protect aquatic habitat. 
• $75,000 through NPG to perform a comprehensive stream corridor assessment and identify opportunities to implement natural stream design approaches to reduce erosion and mitigate flooding in the Lower East Branch Owego Creek watershed. 

• Village of Owego:
• $50,000 through NPG to investigate the feasibility of installing green infrastructure practices at the Evergreen Cemetery to mitigate erosion and prevent excessive stormwater from entering the village's combined stormwater/sewer system. 

Tompkins County 

• City of Ithaca:
• $10 million through WQIP to complete improvements to the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility, including refurbishing secondary and tertiary treatment equipment and improving solids handling for the anaerobic digester, which will improve the water quality of Cayuga Lake by reducing the amount of phosphorous discharging to the lake. 

• Village of Freeville:
• $4.25 million through WQIP to improve their wastewater treatment system by replacing the lagoons aeration system, adding a chemical feed system, a moving bed bioreactor and disc filtration facility, and installing ultraviolet disinfection, which will reduce phosphorus entering Fall Creek and improve water quality in the Cayuga Lake watershed. 

• Village of Groton:
• $1.4 million through WQIP to install a belt filter press to upgrade the existing screw press, install a conveyor from the dewatering building to a covered pad, and make other improvements at the Village’s Wastewater Treatment Plant to reduce the amount of phosphorus discharging to Owasco Inlet. 

• Tompkins County Highway Department:
• $1.3 million through WQIP to replace a failing culvert in the Town of Caroline with a new box culvert with a natural stream bottom, which will reduce erosion, enable aquatic organism passage, and improve flood resiliency in the Six Mile Creek watershed. 

• Town of Ulysses:
• $855,675 through WQIP to replace a failing and undersized culvert on Agard Road that is frequently overtopped during flood events. A newright-sized, three-sided box culvert will reduce erosion and sedimentation of the stream, increase flood capacity, and restore aquatic connectivity in the Taughannock Creek watershed. 

• Town of Groton:
• $490,631 through WQIP to replace two undersized and failing culverts on Webster Brook with one concrete box culvert, which involves removal of the barrier to aquatic organism passage formed by the culverts, and increase flood resilience within the Cayuga Inlet watershed. 

• Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $250,000 through WQIP for a project to restore a degraded section of Miller Creek in the Town of Dryden to a natural and stable habitat, which involves installation of a step pool structure to prevent erosion, restore riparian buffers, and restore aquatic connectivity to benefit native brook trout. 

• Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $50,000 through NPG to complete a streambank stabilization plan to address eroding stream banks, debris blockages, channel avulsion, and channel incision, including a conceptual design for stabilization along five sections of Salmon Creek in the Town of Lansing. 

• Town of Lansing:
• $5,312 through WQIP to purchase a 5,500-gallon brine tank and truck mounted brine spreaders to apply salt brine on roadways which will reduce road salt application and protect water quality within the Cayuga Lake 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. 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.