NYS awards more than $37M for water quality & climate resiliency projects

Submitted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

New York state recently announced more than $37 million in grants to support 29 water quality and climate resiliency projects in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Region 9. The awards are part of more than $265 million in investments recently announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul to help protect drinking water, improve climate resilience, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms, and secure statewide access to clean water.

This announcement is supported by funding from multiple grant programs administered by DEC and the Environmental Facilities Corp. (EFC), and investments from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act; Environmental Protection Fund; and other sources. The programs – Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP), Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Mapping Grant (NPG), and Resilient Watersheds Grant (RWG) – help protect communities and water quality while reinforcing the state’s support for municipalities by making these critical projects more affordable and minimizing the financial burden on local taxpayers.

DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Since taking office, and most recently in the 2026 State of the State, Gov. Hochul continues to provide unprecedented resources to invest in climate resiliency and water infrastructure to support communities across the state. With more than $265 million from multiple programs, including $185 million supporting improvements in environmental justice communities, the awarded projects will help our municipal partners achieve meaningful reductions in flood risk, protect drinking water, improve aquatic habitat, and safeguard residents from increasingly severe weather events.”

EFC President and CEO Maureen Coleman said, “Gov. Hochul is investing billions in water infrastructure every year to help local governments affordably advance crucial water quality and resiliency projects. By pairing Environmental Bond Act funding with other state program funding to support new and signature programs, every dollar goes further and brings New York closer to a safer, more sustainable future. The new Resilient Watersheds Grant program will jumpstart flood-mitigation projects in some of the most at-risk communities while creating good-paying jobs that drive local economies."

The funding complements the historic environmental investments announced earlier this week in the 2026 State of the State, building upon the record support for New York state’s premier grant programs that fund critical water infrastructure, protect drinking water, and safeguard communities.

Local DEC Region 9 awards include:

Erie County

•Buffalo Sewer Authority: $10 million through WQIP to install new vortex-style drop shaft to the Scajaquada tunnel on Colorado Avenue to accommodate higher peak wastewater flows and reduce the number of combined sewer overflows to improve the water quality of Scajaquada Creek and Black Rock Canal. 

•Erie County: $4 million through WQIP to stabilize eroding streambanks and shorelines at 10 sites located on Erie County Parks and Forest properties, including one site with severe coastal erosion at Wendt Beach Park. The project will stabilize 10,000 feet of shoreline and restore 400 acres of riparian buffers in Lake Erie and the Niagara River watersheds. 

•Town of Grand Island: $1.9 million through WQIP to replace three undersized pumps at Lift Station 8 with larger pumps, as well as rehabilitate 10,200 feet of sanitary sewer on Stony Point Road. The improvements will reduce sanitary sewer overflows during storm events, improving the water quality of the Niagara River. 

•Town of Amherst: $67,500 through NPG to map a portion of the stormwater system to update existing GIS maps with flow direction, pipe types, and any unmapped components to assist the town in maintaining the system and tracking illicit discharges.

Niagara County

•New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation: $3.3 million through RWG for a culvert removal project and to daylight approximately 600 linear feet of stream in Reservoir State Park, including creating a wetland pond and walking trail. The project improves stormwater retention capabilities.

•Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper: $2 million through WQIP to conduct a living shoreline restoration project along Gill Creek in the City of Niagara Falls. Restoration activities include planting native plants, removing a deteriorating boardwalk, and replacing a mowed lawn with riparian habitat to reduce erosion and improve habitat for aquatic organisms. 

•City of North Tonawanda: $75,000 through NPG for an updated MS4 mapping project. This effort will assist the city in identifying issues within the existing stormwater system, with a focus on flood-prone areas, and help improve overall stormwater management. 

•Niagara County Soil and Water Conservation District: $388,250 through WQIP for a salt storage facility construction project for the Town of Royalton Highway Department. The new storage facility will protect water quality within the Eighteenmile Creek watershed.

More than $208 million was awarded to 131 projects statewide through DEC’s 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. A full list of grant awards can be found here.

A total of $2.9 million was awarded to 44 projects through DEC’s NPG program to fund the initial planning of WQIPs, such as replacing undersized culverts, implementing green infrastructure, and completing state permit-required storm sewer mapping in urban areas. NPG projects reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff entering lakes, rivers and streams, and improve resiliency against the impacts of climate change. A full list of grant awards can be found here.

In addition, $55 million in new grant funding was awarded to 24 climate resiliency projects in 15 communities across New York. EFC, in coordination with DEC, administers the RWG program funded through the Environmental Bond Act. RWG projects were selected to reflect the diverse, statewide issues that New Yorkers are facing and include stream and floodplain restoration; removal of dams, culverts and other barriers; culvert replacements; and property buyouts. The RWG program builds on the success of DEC’s Resilient NY, which delivers state-of-the-art studies of flood-prone, high-risk watersheds across the state. All awarded projects were recommended actions by Resilient NY studies or a comparable flood study. A full list of grant awards can be found here.

New York's commitment to water quality improvements

Hochul remains committed to ensuring New Yorkers have access to safe, clean drinking water. As outlined in the 2026 State of the State, Hochul is proposing a bold, five-year, $3.75 billion commitment to modernize New York’s water systems, providing $750 million annually to deliver clean water while also unlocking the state’s economic potential. This historic funding level will also continue to uplift and support New York’s premier water programs, such as WQIP, the Water Infrastructure Improvement program, and the Lead Infrastructure Forgiveness and Transformation program. In addition, the new Smart Growth Water Grant program will fund the essential sewer and water infrastructure required to build new housing and support the state’s growing economy.

Since 2017, Hochul and the State Legislature have invested $6 billion in clean water infrastructure to replace aging water mains, upgrade sewage treatment plants, replace lead pipes, and filter toxic PFAS chemicals. The governor’s new commitment would raise that total to nearly $10 billion.

More about New York’s Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act: On Nov. 8, 2022, New Yorkers approved the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act. State agencies, local governments, and partners will be able to access funding to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate change, improve resiliency, and create green jobs. Environmental Bond Act funding will support new and expanded projects across the state to safeguard drinking water sources, reduce pollution, and protect communities and natural resources from climate change. A total of $1.9 billion is invested to date. Learn more at www.environmentalbondact.ny.gov.

More about the consolidated funding application: Some of the grants announced were issued through the consolidated funding application process. The CFA was created to streamline and expedite the grant application process, marking a shift in the way state resources are allocated by 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 tools 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 here.