ICYMI: DEC Region 6 Highlights Nearly $26 Million in Grants Awarded to Local Water Quality Protection Projects
Local Grant Awards Part of $249 Million in Grants Awarded to 181 Water Quality Protection Projects Across New York State
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 6 celebrated Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent awarding of nearly $26 million in State grants to support 16 projects in 12 communities to further improve water quality in the region. 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.
“Clean water depends on reliable infrastructure and healthy ecosystems,” DEC Region 6 Director Randall Young said. “These grants will help communities across DEC’s Region 6 upgrade wastewater systems, keep road salt out of groundwater and streams, and replace aging culverts that restrict stream flow and aquatic habitat. DEC is proud to support local projects that protect water quality and help communities prepare for climate driven extreme weather events.”
More than $25 million will help support 14 projects through DEC’s 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. View a statewide list of WQIP grant awards.
Additionally, $100,000 will help support2 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. View a full list of NPG grant awards.
Region 6 grantees in Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, and Oneida Counties include:
Herkimer County
Herkimer County Sewer District, $10,000,000 - Herkimer County Sewer District will make capital improvements to its wastewater treatment system, including upgrading the Frankfort pump station, adding Anaerobic/Oxic treatment processes, and replacing chlorine disinfection with ultraviolet disinfection. This project will improve the water quality of the Mohawk River.
Herkimer County, $50,000 - Herkimer County will complete a stream culvert replacement study for a failing culvert on Elizabethtown Road that is causing severe erosion. The report will include replacement alternatives that will improve hydraulic performance and flood resiliency and improve water quality in Steele Creek and the Mohawk River.
Jefferson County
Jefferson County Highway Department, $1,040,000 - Jefferson County Highway Department will replace two deteriorated corrugated metal pipes with one cement box culvert in the Town of Cape Vincent. The new box culvert will provide improved aquatic organism passage, restore natural stream function, and reduce flood risk in Wheeler Creek.
Town of Champion, $600,000 - Town of Champion will replace an existing undersized and aging salt storage facility. The new structure will protect salt and sand materials from precipitation and runoff. This project will reduce pollution and protect water quality in the Lake Ontario watershed.
Town of Ellisburg, $376,700 - Town of Ellisburg will replace a pair of hydraulically undersized parallel culverts made of corrugated metal pipe. The project will construct a single new concrete box culvert to improve hydraulic capacity and reduce nutrient and sediment loading in Skinner Creek.
Town of Ellisburg, $600,000 - Town of Ellisburg will construct a new, fully enclosed sand and salt storage facility at the Town highway garage. The structure will significantly reduce salt-laden runoff and minimize the potential for contamination of nearby groundwater.
Town of Pamelia, $6,962,600 - Town of Pamelia will install a sanitary sewer system, including grinder pump stations, to connect properties currently using onsite septic systems to the City of Watertown wastewater treatment system. The project will improve the water quality of the Black River.
Town of Worth, $554,000 - Town of Worth will replace an existing salt storage facility that is insufficiently sized. The new facility will allow the entire salt pile to be covered and protected from precipitation. This project will protect water quality in the South Sandy Creek watershed.
Town of Hounsfield, $50,0000 - Town of Hounsfield will evaluate the feasibility of extending municipal sewer service to properties using onsite septic systems along and near NYS Route 12F. The Town will complete a preliminary engineering report and sanitary survey to identify failing systems within the proposed sewer extension to protect water quality within the Black River watershed.
Lewis County
Lewis County, $660,000 - Lewis County will replace a deteriorated and hydraulically undersized culvert in the Town of Copenhagen. The new, properly sized culvert and stabilized streambanks will reduce erosion and handle increased stream flow during storm events. This project will reduce sediment and nutrient loading in the Lake Ontario watershed.
Lewis County, $767,200 - Lewis County will replace a second dilapidated and undersized culvert and stabilize the streambanks in the Town of Copenhagen. The new culvert will better convey stream flow and reduce flood events. This project will reduce erosion and improve water quality of the Deer River.
Lewis County, $647,200 - Lewis County will replace a deteriorated and hydraulically undersized culvert and stabilize the nearby streambanks in the Town of Harrisburg. This project will reduce erosion and improve water quality in Stony Creek.
Town of Croghan, $600,000 - Town of Croghan will construct a salt storage facility to house the Town's de-icing materials, including road salt and sand. The facility will protect the road salt and sand from precipitation, reducing runoff. The project will protect groundwater and the nearby Beaver River.
Town of Osceola, $597,074 - Town of Osceola will construct a salt storage structure to cover an exposed salt pile. The facility will protect the salt from the elements and reduce salt-laden runoff from entering local waterways. This project will protect water quality in nearby groundwater and the Salmon River watershed.
Oneida County
Town of Annsville, $2,000,000 - Town of Annsville will replace an undersized culvert with a concrete arch culvert. The new natural streambed bottom culvert will eliminate flow constriction, reduce stream velocity, and enhance aquatic organism passage in Florence Creek.
Town of New Hartford, $378,342 - Town of New Hartford will purchase a vacuum truck to maintain stormwater catch basins. The vacuum truck will ensure that the catch basins will remain clear of debris and protect water quality within the Mohawk River watershed.
The WQIP funds are part of more than $249 million in grants recently announced by Governor Hochul for 181 projects statewide 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.
More than $42 million of funding provided through the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act will be used to implement 49 WQIP projects.
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. The 2026-27 enacted New York State Budget maintains the EPF at $425 million and includes an additional $25 million from the Sustainable Future Program to provide a record $450 million for critical environmental programs, such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, enhanced recreational access, water quality improvement, and an aggressive environmental justice agenda.
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 announced by Governor Hochul sets the national standard with a transformational $3.75 billion water infrastructure investment plan, building on $10.6 billion provided to clean water infrastructure projects since 2021. To leverage these investments and ensure ongoing coordination with local governments, the Governor supports the Environmental Facilities Corporation’s Community Assistance Teams in coordination with State agencies to provide proactive outreach for one-on-one consultations to help municipalities prepare strong applications. New Yorkers can view projects benefiting from DEC’s water grant programs using the interactive grant data portal.
About the Consolidated Funding Application
The grants were issued following completion through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process. The CFA was created to streamline and expedite the grant application process. The CFA process marks a fundamental shift in the way State resources are allocated, 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 mechanism 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.
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