Tonawanda, N.Y. (WBEN) - Some funding needed to improve water infrastructure for several thousand Erie County residents is on its way from New York State.
Gov. Kathy Hochul was back in Western New York on Tuesday at the Van de Water Treatment Plant in Tonawanda to announce $20 million in water infrastructure upgrades for communities in the region.
"Water really is the essence of life, and if we don't protect our water systems and the systems that deliver it, we're really putting our communities at risk," said Gov. Hochul during her visit Tuesday. "This is a moral imperative that we provide clean water to our communities, our businesses and our families. That's exactly why I'm here today, to reassure thousands of our neighbors here in Western New York, and their kids and grandkids will know that they'll always have access to clean drinking water."
LISTEN LIVE TO WBEN:
With this funding, the Erie County Water Authority (ECWA) can complete a long-awaited, $80 million overhaul that includes upgrading water filters that treat 60 million gallons of water from Lake Erie each day, and haven’t had substantial upgrades for 70 years.
"The truth is, through no one's fault other than a lack of resources, our systems have been decaying and deteriorating, and sometimes bursting and breaking down. Essential upgrades were delayed, and localities had to kind of do this patchwork, trying to just do a 'Whac-A-Mole', put their finger literally in the dike to stop the water from bursting. And generations of leaders have not been able to do much on this other than put a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, and that's the scale of what we're talking about, leaving the problem to someone else. My friends, the problem has fallen on our laps, and we are not going to push this down to future generations and leaders," Gov. Hochul said.
Hochul adds if no one gets in front of issues like this, progress on addressing important matters will fall behind and it eventually gets washed away. She believes an investment like this will make a difference for the long-term of many in the region.
This investment is the start of a major infrastructure project that will ensure up to 180,000 customers served by the Van de Water Treatment Plant will not be affected by prolonged service interruptions, and can respond to increased demands on the system.
It will also help ECWA extend the life of its water infrastructure, and provide its more than 550,000 customers with a reliable supply of safe and affordable water.
"The Van de Water Treatment Plant right here, this is what's doing it. This is what's providing clean water, accessible water for countless families here in the Northern part of Erie County," Gov. Hochul said. "Everybody has a right to turn on that faucet and see, feel and experience fresh clean water. But I also want to let you know something else: Water mains break. It causes a disruption. But when I see a water main break, I say that means it wasn't invested in. We have to make sure that we are investing in ways to make up for the past, the past neglect. And today, we're going to do this."
Tuesday's announcement builds on the Governor's commitment to clean water. The 2023-24 Enacted Budget included an additional $500 million in clean water funding as proposed by Gov. Hochul, bringing New York's total clean water infrastructure investment to $5 billion since 2017.
To leverage these investments and ensure ongoing coordination with local governments, the Governor proposed the creation of Community Assistance Teams to provide proactive outreach to small, rural, and disadvantaged communities to help them access financial assistance to address their clean water infrastructure needs. The initiative was recently launched and outreach meetings are underway.
Any community that needs help with their water infrastructure needs is encouraged to contact EFC at efc.ny.gov/CAT.
In addition, voters approved the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act in November 2022, advancing additional, historic levels of funding to update aging water infrastructure and protect water quality, strengthen communities' ability to withstand severe storms and flooding, reduce air pollution and lower climate-altering emissions, restore habitats, preserve outdoor spaces and local farms, and ensure equity by investing at least 35%, with a goal of 40%, of resources in disadvantaged communities.
During Earth Week, Gov. Hochul announced the first availability of Bond Act funding that, when combined with existing state funding sources, totals $425 million made available in state water grant funding.