Willsboro wastewater facility among new water-quality initiatives

WILLSBORO | Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced that more than $272 million is being awarded to 179 projects to protect and improve water quality across New York State, including $2.5 million toward a Town of Willsboro wastewater facility. The awards are in addition to the $196 million awarded to 488 projects from multiple State Agency programs through Round XI of the Governor's Regional Economic Development Council Initiative announced last week to stimulate New York's post-pandemic economic recovery. The $272 million awarded through the state's Water Quality Improvement Project program will help significantly improve water quality, combat contributors to harmful algal blooms, and update aging water infrastructure in communities across the state. "Our state's economic development goals cannot be achieved without clean water for drinking, recreation, and the overall quality of life New Yorkers expect and deserve," Gov. Hochul said. "These sustained investments in water quality improve the health of our communities while creating economic opportunity through well paying, long-lasting jobs." The latest round of funding is the largest ever awarded through the Water Quality Improvement Project program. The Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant program is administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and funds projects that directly address documented water quality impairments or protect a drinking water source. Supported in part by the State's Environmental Protection Fund, WQIP projects include municipal wastewater treatment upgrades, non-agricultural nonpoint source abatement and control, land acquisition projects for source water protection, salt storage construction, aquatic connectivity restoration, and marine habitat restoration. DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "Protecting New York's water quality is among Governor Hochul's top priorities. She recognizes that access to clean water is critical to sustaining the health of our communities, environment, and economy. The $272 million in WQIP grants announced today will help communities across the state advance work and maximize investments to safeguard our drinking water supplies for generations to come." The Town of Willsboro was named a recipient as a Nonpoint Source Abatement Project. State officials said the $2.5 million slated for Willsboro is to address failing septic systems through the construction of a decentralized wastewater treatment system that will improve water quality by reducing nutrients entering Lake Champlain and its watershed.

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Willsboro wastewater facility among new water-quality initiatives

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