Carle Place, NY: New York State Senator Anna M. Kaplan (D-North Hills) announced that $98,979,079 in new State grants have been awarded for 18 clean water infrastructure improvement projects across the Senator’s District. The projects will enhance local water treatment infrastructure to protect public health and improve water quality, and will include the construction of new, advanced treatment systems to eliminate emerging contaminants from drinking water in Nassau County. The April 20 announcement comes as part of New York State’s largest-ever award of Water Infrastructure Improvement Act grants, which was made possible by funding Senator Kaplan fought to deliver in the New York State Budget.
Senator Anna M. Kaplan said, “There are few things more important than having access to clean, safe drinking water, but in many parts of Long Island, dangerous contaminants are threatening our precious natural resources, and placing new burdens on our water infrastructure. No individual community should be forced to shoulder the burden for past bad actors who got us into this situation, so I’ve fought hard to bring record amounts of funding back to our community to invest in water treatment infrastructure, so that the high costs of these new systems aren’t passed on to residents in our community. Today’s announcement is a big step forward to ensure that all of our neighbors can get clean, safe water from the tap without seeing a huge increase in their monthly bill.”
As emerging contaminants such as PFOS, PFOA, and 1,4 dioxane continue to turn up in local drinking water supplies across Long Island, and with New York State recently setting new drinking water standards for the three chemicals, water districts across Long Island have begun the process of building advanced treatment systems that would remove the likely-carcinogens from drinking water. Without grants from the State or Federal Governments, the cost for these new and expensive facilities would be passed along to local ratepayers, something Senator Kaplan has fought to prevent with efforts like this.
Funds announced were appropriated in the 2021-2022 New York State Budget supported by Senator Kaplan, and an additional $500 million will be invested over the next year after it was included in the recently passed 2022-2023 State Budget.
“Modernizing our state’s water infrastructure is critical to ensuring every New Yorker has access to clean drinking water,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “Protecting the public health of New Yorkers will always be a top priority for my administration and this funding is a testament to that commitment. We will continue working collaboratively with every level of government to empower localities with the funding they need to improve water quality statewide.”
