Penn Yan, Trumansburg receive state assistance for water quality projects ~ O'Mara says state aid critical to improving quality of local water infrastructure

Elmira, N.Y., August 13--State Senator Tom O'Mara (R,I,C-Big Flats), chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, today said that the villages of Penn Yan and Trumansburg will be awarded interest-free state loans to undertake critical water infrastructure improvement projects.

The local awards were released in Albany today as part of a round of $114 million in funding for 20 projects statewide.  It was announced that:

> the village of Penn Yan (Yates County) is being awarded $1.26 million of interest-free financing for a waterfront revitalization project to construct new sewers, pump stations and other improvements to the wastewater collection system along Hicks, Waddell and Monell Streets.  The project will help prepare the waterfront for commercial and residential development of the former Penn Yan Boat Factory; and

> the village of Trumansburg (Tompkins County) is being awarded a $6.5-million zero-interest loan to help correct discharge violations at the wastewater treatment plant on Lake Road.  The project was designed with the help of a $19,840 state planning grant and will also save money by lowering the plant’s energy costs.

O’Mara said, "It’s great news that the villages of Penn Yan and Trumansburg will receive this valuable assistance to undertake these critical projects. We're hopeful that ongoing state assistance will prove successful in helping localities undertake these critical projects, including sewer and pipeline repairs. We're also hopeful that a new grant program currently underway can represent a long-term model for how the state-local partnership can be strengthened for the good of local environments, local economies and local property taxpayers by helping municipalities meet critical infrastructure needs while remaining within the property tax cap."

O’Mara reminded area localities that the state Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) and Department of Health (DOH) are currently accepting applications for the allocation of $50 million in water infrastructure grants now available to local governments for assistance in undertaking critical drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects.

In total over the next three years, $200 million in grants will become available to local governments under the new "Water Infrastructure Improvement Act."

O'Mara has called the program's creation one of the highlights of the 2015-2016 state budget approved by the Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier this year.

Details on available funding, access to online application forms, and application deadlines are available at www.efc.ny.gov/NYSwatergrants.