CAPITAL REGION, NY (WRGB) — Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday more than $130 million in state grants awarded to communities across New York State to identify and replace lead service lines.
The Governor’s Lead Infrastructure Forgiveness and Transformation (LIFT) Grants help communities pay for projects that protect drinking water and safeguard the public health of New Yorkers without overburdening ratepayers.
“Our communities shouldn’t have to choose between protecting their drinking water and taking on crushing debt,” Governor Hochul said. “Every family deserves clean, safe drinking water at a cost they can afford, and these grants will help us make that goal a reality.”
Lead is harmful to human health and can enter drinking water when lead service lines, faucets and fixtures corrode. Water that has high acidity or low mineral content can corrode lead plumbing. Lead service lines — pipes that connect homes to water mains — are typically the most significant source of lead in water. Lead plumbing is likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986.
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These grants will help municipalities pay for lead service line inventory and replacement projects supported by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Under Congress, a portion of IIJA funding for lead service line projects is required to be provided as loans.
The awards prioritize communities that meet one or more of the following criteria:
The community’s median household income is less than 80 percent of the regionally adjusted statewide median household incomeThe community’s local poverty rate is higher than the statewide poverty rate
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The communities receiving these awards are:
Albany Municipal Water Finance Authority, $4,252,531City of Batavia, $3,223,442City of Buffalo, $11,832,000City of Canandaigua, $869,300Village of Frankfort, $301,778City of Geneva, $3,737,741City of Glens Falls, $535,540City of Ithaca, $4,910,000Village of Johnson City, $3,687,000City of Kingston, $8,928,300City of Little Falls, $2,862,300Mohawk Valley Water Authority, $3,304,950City of Newburgh, $2,711,458Niagara Falls Water Board, $1,464,487New York City, $14 million for projects in Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten IslandCity of Olean, $5,923,939City of Oneonta, $433,500City of Port Jervis, $13,400,768City of Poughkeepsie, $14 millionCity of Rochester, $14,000,000City of Rome, $7,230,000Town of Seneca Falls, $1,088,710City of Troy, $11,097,000City of Watervliet, $518,000New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, “Governor Hochul recognizes that affordability isn’t just about rent or groceries or the cost of childcare. It’s also about whether a family can afford safe water. Too often, communities are asked to choose between long-overdue capital improvements and the financial burden they bring. Governor Hochul’s grants flip that script. When funding is structured thoughtfully, when State support is strong, we can achieve real results without placing new burdens on already-stretched households.”
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Governor Hochul and the New York State Department of Health share the same goal of safeguarding drinking water for every New Yorker. These grants will help municipalities affordably replace lead service lines, protect the communities from lead exposure and ensure more New Yorkers have access to safe drinking water — the foundation to good health.”