ICYMI: DEC Region 7 Highlights Water Quality Investments for Central New York
Local Grant Awards Part of $249 Million in Grants Awarded to 181 Statewide Water Quality Protection Projects
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 7 celebrated Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent awarding of more than $31 million in State grants supporting 24 projects in 21 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.
“Investments from New York State’s Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program support critical infrastructure that allows communities, residents, and businesses to thrive,” DEC Region 7 Director Dereth Glance said. “WQIP grants help make local projects possible, like upgrading sewage and water treatment and conveyance systems, acquiring critical open space to protect drinking water at the source, investing in resilient waterways that improve flood control capacity while enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, and building structural solutions to control pollution that prevents fouling of our shared waters. DEC is proud to partner with local governments and nonprofit organizations to invest critical clean water infrastructure dollars to ensure abundant clean water resources for today and tomorrow.”
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, more than $555,000 will help support 10 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 7 WQIP grantees in Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, Tioga, and Tompkins counties include:
Village of Endicott (Broome County), $1,039,720 – The Village of Endicott will rehabilitate sewer defects in high-priority areas in Endicott and the Town of Vestal that have been identified as sources of inflow and infiltration. The project will improve water quality in the Susquehanna River, a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay.
City of Binghamton (Broome County), $400,000 – The City of Binghamton will purchase a vacuum truck to clean and maintain over 3,000 catch basins throughout the city. Acquiring the vacuum truck will restore system capacity, reduce pollutant loading, and improve water quality in the Susquehanna River watershed.
Village of Endicott (Broome County), $820,050 – The Village of Endicott will construct green infrastructure at the Garfield Avenue and Madison Avenue municipal parking lots. They will install five stormwater tree trenches and convert more than one acre of impervious pavement into pervious surface and landscaped areas. The project will intercept and treat runoff, and reduce sheet flow to surrounding streets and the Village's stormwater system, while capturing sediment, nutrients, petroleum residues, and debris.
Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority, $10,000,000 – The Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority will install a low-pressure sanitary sewer system along nine miles of Cayuga Lake in Ledyard and Genoa, connecting homes that are currently using failing onsite wastewater treatment systems. The wastewater will be conveyed to the Village of Aurora wastewater treatment plant. This project will improve the water quality of Cayuga Lake.
Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation, $580,000 – The Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District will stabilize a streambank at the outlet of Dutch Hollow Brook. A flood relief area will also be installed, allowing flood waters to naturally rise and fall without damage to infrastructure. This project will reduce erosion, mitigate flooding, and decrease nutrient loading in the Owasco Lake watershed.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. (Cayuga County), $1,865,000 – Ducks Unlimited will complete a series of wetland restoration and enhancement projects in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex. They will excavate managed wetland units, repair water control structures, and manage invasive species to provide wildlife benefits and landscape resiliency. This project will provide habitat for wetland wildlife species and migrating birds.
Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District, $492,500 – The Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District will replace an aging and perched culvert that is prone to debris blockages in the Town of Oxford. The new natural bottom box culvert will better convey stream flow and connect over five miles of upstream habitat. This project will reduce erosion and improve trout habitat in Padget Brook.
Town of Sherburne (Chenango County), $600,000 – The Town of Sherburne will construct a new salt storage facility outside of the floodplain, replacing the existing structure that is within the floodplain. Relocating the facility will protect water quality in the Chenango River watershed.
Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District, $208,000 – The Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District will partner with the Town of Lapeer to construct a salt storage structure to house an uncovered road salt and sand pile. This project will reduce salt runoff entering Jennings Creek and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District, $400,000 – The Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District will remove two existing failing and collapsed corrugated metal pipes and replace them with an aluminum arched culvert. The new culvert will align with the stream channel and connect over seven miles of upstream habitat in Stone Mill Brook, a tributary of the Chenango River.
Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District, $95,571 – The Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District will complete a streambank stabilization project in the Town of Fabius. They will use riparian buffers, cross vanes, root wads, and boulder revetments to stabilize 1,000 feet of eroding streambank. This project will reduce nutrient and sediment loading in the DeRuyter Reservoir watershed.
Village of Tully (Onondaga County), $5,936,352 – The Village of Tully will renovate their wastewater treatment system, including replacing the Circle K pump station equipment, influent channel screen Vortex Grit Removal System, and filtration and ultraviolet disinfection equipment. This project will improve water quality in the West Branch Tioughnioga River and Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Town of Cicero (Onondaga County), $400,000 – The Town of Cicero will purchase a vacuum truck to increase cleaning and maintenance of the catch basins throughout the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System areas of the town. Use of the truck will reduce sediment and pollutants from impacting the water quality within Oneida Lake-Oneida River watershed.
Oswego County, $340,000 – Oswego County will replace an aging and undersized salt storage facility at the County Highway Department. The new structure will prevent salt-laden runoff from entering local groundwater resources and will protect water quality in the Lower Salmon River watershed.
Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation, $211,809 – The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District will stabilize streambanks and culvert outlets in multiple locations in the Town of Newark Valley that were severely impacted by flash flooding. This project will stabilize 755 feet of streambank. The program will reduce sediment and nutrients from entering Owego Creek and the Susquehanna River watershed.
Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District, $48,360 – The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District will implement a roadside erosion reduction program in the county. They will utilize hydroseeding to cover critical areas of erosion on exposed ditches and road banks. This project will reduce erosion and nutrient loading in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Tioga County Department of Public Works, $140,245 – The Tioga County Department of Public Works will expand existing salt storage at the Department of Public Works highway garage. The new structure will house salt that is currently uncovered, reducing salt runoff. This project will protect an aquifer and nearby Catatonk Creek.
Town of Owego (Tioga County), $62,400 – The Town of Owego will install segmented, rubberized plow blades on its 14-plow winter-maintenance fleet. The segmented plow blades will better contour and scrape snow and ice off road surfaces compared to traditional plow blades, reducing the need for road salt application. This project will reduce the Town's overall road salt usage and protect water quality in the Susquehanna River.
Tompkins County Highway Department, $1,928,800 – The Tompkins County Highway Department will replace a set of side-by-side arch culverts causing flow constriction and aquatic habitat degradation in the Town of Dryden. The new single arch culvert will restore natural stream alignment, improve sediment transport, and enhance aquatic organism passage in Virgil Creek.
Tompkins County Highway Department, $1,767,255 – The Tompkins County Highway Department will replace an insufficiently sized culvert pipe with an arch culvert in the Town of Caroline. This project will improve stream flow and restore aquatic passage in Six Mile Creek.
Tompkins County Highway Department, $1,917,488 – The Tompkins County Highway Department will replace two aging, undersized metal pipes causing erosion in the Town of Groton. The new properly sized culvert will have a natural streambed bottom and properly align with the stream channel. This project will reduce erosion, convey stormwater flow, and allow for aquatic passage in the Owasco Lake watershed.
Town of Lansing (Tompkins County), $99,500 – The Town of Lansing will purchase salt brine manufacturing equipment and truck-mounted brine spreading equipment. This equipment will retrofit an existing plow truck and will allow the Town to apply salt brine directly to the road to prevent the formation of ice before a snow event. This project will reduce the Town's overall road salt usage and protect water quality in Cayuga Lake, a drinking water source.
Town of Ulysses (Tompkins County), $909,007 – The Town of Ulysses will replace two parallel culverts that are aged and corroded. The culverts will be replaced with a single box culvert with a natural streambed bottom. This project will reduce flooding and allow for proper aquatic organism passage in the Taughannock Creek watershed.
Region 7 NGP grantees in Broome, Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego counties, include:
Village of Endicott (Broome County), $50,000 – The Village of Endicott will complete an engineering feasibility study for installing green infrastructure practices, including bioretention, on the Huron Campus to mitigate stormwater entering Brixiums Creek and protect local public drinking water supplies.
Village of Endicott (Broome County), $50,000 – The Village of Endicott will update its MS4 stormwater management program and convert current records and GIS resources into a compliance roadmap with GIS-based workflows and implementation schedules.
Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District (Cayuga County), $75,000 – The Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District will create a dam safety engineering design report for the Casowasco Camp Dam in the Town of Scipio. Removal of this high-hazard dam will be a considered alternative in the study.
Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District (Cortland County), $45,000 – The Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District will prepare a stream culvert repair/replacement study and engineering design report for two culverts, on Ticknor Road and Quail Hollow Road, in the Owego Creek watershed. The report will include recommendations to restore aquatic connectivity and improve water quality.
Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District (Cortland County), $50,000 – The Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District will develop a streambank stabilization engineering design report for two sites in the Owego Creek watershed near Babcock Hollow Road and NYS Route 221. The report will provide plans and designs for restoration efforts that will reduce erosion and improve water quality in Owego Creek.
Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District (Cortland County), $60,000 – The Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District will conduct a stream corridor assessment study of the upper East Branch Owego Creek watershed. The study will evaluate erosion along the stream corridor and include plans for streambank stabilization, riparian buffer restoration, culvert repair/replacement, and aquatic connectivity initiatives.
Town of Sullivan (Madison County), $50,000 – The Town of Sullivan will complete a sanitary survey of onsite septic systems in the proposed Lakeport Road sewer district. The survey will identify any failing systems and evaluate wastewater management alternatives where necessary to protect waters in the Oneida Lake watershed.
Town of Otisco (Onondaga County), $75,000 – The Town of Otisco will complete a comprehensive stream corridor study for Rice Brook. The recommendations in the study will reduce the amount of phosphorus entering Otisco Lake, a drinking water supply, and address flood resiliency.
Town of West Monroe (Oswego County), $50,000 – The Town of West Monroe will complete a sanitary survey for properties with aging onsite septic systems along the NYS Route 49 corridor and intersecting roadways. Results will be used to identify priority areas for future sewer service that will protect water quality in the Oneida Lake 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. View a full list of WQIP grant awards.
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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