Assemblyman Steve Otis (AD-91) along with representatives from the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) hosted a special workshop on the EFC’s 2023 round of clean water grant programs at the Jay Heritage Center on May 19th. The goal of this annual Westchester clean water workshop was to provide municipal officials and staff with the latest information on the 2023 round of grants and the details regarding this year’s application process. The attendance for this program was the largest ever! Great to see so many Rye colleagues there including Legislator Catherine Parker, FCWC’s Tracy Stora, Rye City Council member Carolina Johnson and Rye City Manager Greg Usry.
Assemblyman Steve Otis said, “The workshop provides a special opportunity for local officials and municipal staff to learn about the current round of clean water funding offered by New York State and meet in person with EFC staff to discuss their specific questions about projects and the application process this year.”
This year’s workshop focused on:
- EFC’s Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) Grants: EFC is providing competitive grants for projects that fund water quality infrastructure for wastewater and drinking water projects that protect or improve water quality and/or protect public health. Municipalities may submit applications for multiple projects, including wastewater, sewer and drinking water projects.
- Intermunicipal Water Grant (IMG) Program: EFC provides grants to assist municipalities that are working together on water quality infrastructure projects. Grants are available for both drinking water and sewage treatment works, also referred to as clean water projects that serve multiple municipalities.
- Technical Assistance and Planning Grants: New to this year’s presentation will be discussion of EFC’s expanded technical assistance program through the agency’s Community Assistance Teams. EFC is expanding their outreach in providing technical assistance to help small or disadvantaged communities with funding opportunities, submitting applications, and the selection process. Also added to the workshop will be discussion of EFC’s planning grant program.
To date, WIIA and IMG have provided more than $2 billion in grants to local governments, including nearly $80 million to Westchester municipalities for important clean water projects. Statewide water infrastructure grants have been awarded to over 800 projects in over 500 communities. EFC administers these programs and works closely with the Departments of Health (DOH) and Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Applications for this year’s round of water infrastructure grant funding are due on Friday, July 28th. More information about the application process can be found on EFC’s website.
The workshop was co-sponsored by the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and the Hudson Valley, Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, Save the Sound, Westchester Municipal Officials Association and the Jay Heritage Center.