# Governor Hochul Announces $249 Million in Grants Awarded to 181 Water Quality Protection Projects Across New York State

Date: 30 Oct 2026
Released by: Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

## MediaRelease.co Summary

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced more than $249 million in grants for 181 water quality projects across the state. More than $246 million supports 139 projects through the Department of Environmental Conservation's Water Quality Improvement Project program, and $2.9 million funds 42 planning projects. More than $206 million will benefit environmental justice communities, and about $122 million targets watersheds affected by harmful algal blooms.

## Original release

$206 Million of Total Awarded to Projects Benefitting Environmental Justice Communities Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $249 million in grants for 181 projects to further improve water quality across the state. The grants support projects that help protect drinking water, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms and improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat in communities statewide. More than $206 million of the funding will support water quality improvements for environmental justice communities which may be disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution. This announcement supplements more than $10 billion in water infrastructure improvements and clean water projects investments by New York State since Governor Hochul took office. “Access to clean water is a fundamental human right, which is why under my administration New York has made record investments to improve water quality across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “Today’s grants build upon those historic investments helping our local communities upgrade essential infrastructure, enhance resiliency against flooding caused by severe weather and protect habitat and water quality for all New Yorkers.” More than $246 million will help support 139 projects through the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) successful Water Quality Improvement Project (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. Additionally, more than $2.9 million will help support 42 projects through DEC’s Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Planning Grant (NPG) program. NPG projects help pay for the initial planning of water quality improvement projects, such as undersized culvert replacements and green infrastructure technologies, and State permit-required storm sewer mapping and stormwater management planning in urban areas. NPG projects will reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff entering lakes, rivers and streams, and improve resiliency against the impacts of climate change. Senator Pete Harckham said, “The DEC’s targeting of $249 million for water quality protection projects, including $2.5 million to shore up the dam and spillway at Wiccopee Reservoir, the source of Peekskill’s drinking water, underscores how important these investments are for the safety of our residents and the economic vitality of our municipalities. I thank Governor Hochul, Commissioner Lefton and my colleagues in the State Legislature for their strong support of this forward-thinking initiative.” New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Under the leadership of Governor Hochul, New York State is delivering critical investments for climate resiliency and water infrastructure projects to support local communities. The nearly $300 million awarded through the Water Quality Improvement Project and the Non-Agriculture Non-Point Source Grant programs reduce flood risk, protect drinking water and aquatic habitats, and safeguard New York’s critical natural resources in communities all across the state.” New York State continues to prioritize funding for projects that may help decrease the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs). Sixty-three WQIP and NPG awarded grants, totaling approximately $122 million, will support projects in watersheds known to have experienced HABs in the past five years and/or help implement a project identified in a DEC HABs Action Plan. Additionally, New York continues to prioritize road salt reduction efforts to protect public health and the environment through the “Don’t Be Salty, New York” campaign. $17 million of Clean Water Infrastructure funding will be used to implement proper salt storage and road salt reduction best management practices, including brine-making equipment and brine storage tanks, and retrofitting snowplows with live edge or segmented flow blades, plow guards, truck mounted brine spreading equipment, and GPS sensors. WQIP Project Highlights More than $42 million of funding provided under the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act will be used to implement 49 WQIP projects. WQIP projects include municipal wastewater treatment upgrades, nonpoint source abatement and control, land acquisition projects for source water protection, salt storage construction, vacuum trucks for municipal separate storm sewer (MS4) areas, dam safety repair, rehabilitation and removal, aquatic connectivity restoration, marine habitat restoration and fish and wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement. Some highlights from the 139 projects funded in this round include: - Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority - $10 million for Sewer Extension (Central New York): a low-pressure sanitary sewer system along nine miles of Cayuga Lake in Ledyard and Genoa, connecting homes currently using failing individual onsite septic systems. - Niagara Falls Water Board - $10 million for Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades (Western New York): upgrading existing wastewater treatment to a biological treatment process to meet new effluent permit limits and improve the water quality of the Niagara River. - Town of Elizabethtown - $10 million for New Wastewater Treatment Plant (North Country): replacing failing individual onsite septic systems to improve water quality within the Boquet River and Lake Champlain watershed. - Town of Canandaigua - $475,000 for Drinking Water Protection (Finger Lakes): a proposed 35-acre acquisition and water quality enhancement project near Canandaigua Lake. - City of Peekskill - $2.5 million for Dam Deficiency Improvement (Mid-Hudson): repairing the Lower Wiccopee Dam to address inadequate spillway capacity and structural deficiencies. - Rensselaer County - $1.5 million for Dam Safety Improvements (Capital Region): rehabilitating the Burden Lake dam. - National Audubon Society - $1,690,172 for Salt Marsh Restoration (Long Island): restoring approximately 70 acres at Sunken Meadow Salt Marsh. - Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper - $940,617 for Riparian Corridor Enhancement (Western New York): restoring degraded riparian and floodplain habitat within the upper reaches of Cayuga Creek. Sources of Funding WQIP is primarily supported by the state's 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), and Clean Water Infrastructure funding; NPG is supported by the EPF. The 2026-27 enacted State Budget maintains the EPF at $425 million and uses an additional $25 million from the Sustainable Future Program to provide a record $450 million for critical environmental programs. New York's Commitment to Clean Water Under Governor Hochul, New York State continues to increase its historic investments in water infrastructure. The enacted 2027 budget sets a $3.75 billion water infrastructure investment plan, building on $10.6 billion provided to clean water infrastructure projects since 2021.

## Key details

- Issued by: Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
- Published: 30 Oct 2026
- Publisher country: United States
- Subject country/region: New York (United States)

Original source: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-249-million-grants-awarded-181-water-quality-protection-projects
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