Port Washington Gets Over $6.7M To Improve Drinking Water Quality

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — New York environmental officials have approved $34.2 million in grants and loans to support vital drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects across the state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week.

The grants, interest-free loans, and low-cost loans were approved Thursday by the New York State Facilities Corporation Board of Directors. More than $6.7 million will go to Port Washington.

"Access to clean water is an essential piece in building strong, vibrant communities and it's critical our local partners have the resources they need to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers," Governor Cuomo said. "With this funding in hand, communities throughout the state will now be able to make vital upgrades to key infrastructure like wastewater collection systems, disinfection systems, and water storage tanks, helping to ensure water quality for their residents is protected generations to come."

The projects approved by the board include:

Drinking Water

• Port Washington Water District in Nassau County - $3,428,400 in an Emerging Contaminants grant for the design and construction of a new treatment process at the existing water treatment facility to remove 1,4-dioxane (likely a human carcinogen) and PFOA (a man-made chemical) from the Stonytown Road facility well #10.
• Port Washington Water District in Nassau County - $3,285,600 in an Emerging Contaminants grant for the design and construction of a new treatment process at the existing water treatment facility to remove 1,4-dioxane, PFOA, and PFOS (chemical once commonly used in consumer products) from Hewlett well #4.
• Village of Mexico in Oswego County - $4,000,000 in short-term market-rate financing and $3,000,000 in WIIA grant to install a new 500,000-gallon elevated glass-lined water storage tank and new water mains in critical areas.

Clean Water

• Town of Coeymans in Albany County - $746,481 in long-term, interest-free financing for the planning, design, and construction of collection system and wastewater treatment plant upgrades.
• City of Lockport in Niagara County - $2,593,750 in low-interest financing, and a $531,250 Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) grant for the planning, design, and construction of an effluent disinfection system at the wastewater treatment plant.
• Village of Perry in Wyoming County - $8,636,043 in short-term interest-free financing for planning, design, and construction of improvements to the wastewater treatment plant and $1,981,957 in long-term interest-free financing for Phase 2 of the planning, design, and construction for improvements to the wastewater treatment plant and rehabilitation of their collection system. Both projects were originally supported with EFC Engineering Planning grants.
• Town of Ramapo in Rockland County - $1,325,000 in WIIA grant for construction of a wastewater collection system upgrade.
• Village of Westfield in Chautauqua County - $4,630,914 in long-term interest-free financing for upgrades to the village's wastewater treatment plant.