Senator Michelle Hinchey Announces $300,000 to Bring Water Connections to Mt. Marion Firehouse, Saugerties Homes and Businesses

SAUGERTIES, NY – Senator Michelle Hinchey today announced that she secured $300,000 in State and Municipal Facilities Capital (SAM) grant funding to extend water and sewer lines along the Kings Highway Corridor to the Mt. Marion Firehouse in Saugerties, nearby homes, and local businesses.

The grant awarded by Senator Hinchey will fund a water infrastructure capital project that will extend clean drinking water and a sanitary sewer system from Industrial Drive South to Mt. Marion Firehouse, connecting fourteen homes, four businesses, and the Mt. Marion Fire Department to a municipal water supply for the first time. In celebration of the funding announcement, Senator Hinchey was joined at Mt. Marion Firehouse by Saugerties Town Supervisor Fred Costello Jr., Mt. Marion Fire Company Chief Glenn Jones, and Ulster County Legislators Aaron Levine (District 1), Joe Maloney (District 2), and Dean Fabiano (District 3). The Ulster County Legislature matched Senator Hinchey’s grant award, while the Saugerties Town Board and local residents contributed over $400,000 to the project, which is expected to begin in 2023.

“I am incredibly proud to have secured a transformational capital investment for Saugerties, which will guarantee a clean and safe water supply for residents and small businesses along the Kings Highway Corridor and support our first responders at the Mt. Marion Firehouse,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “As the climate crisis places new and costly burdens on our local water supply, it is incumbent that we step up and deliver for small, under-resourced communities like Saugerties. I’m thrilled to be the advocate leading that fight to ensure clean water access for our residents, which will translate to a healthier community and savings for taxpayers.”

Saugerties Town Supervisor Fred Costello Jr. said, “Thanks to Senator Hinchey, the Town of Saugerties can hit go on a project to extend much-needed water/sewer lines to Mt. Marion Firehouse, which will provide our first responders with the tools they need when assisting the community during disaster emergency situations and allow homes and businesses to connect to municipal water functions. We thank Senator Hinchey for making this project possible so we can better serve the needs of our Saugerties residents.”

Mt. Marion Fire Company Chief Glenn Jones said, “The Mt. Marion Fire Company would like to thank Senator Michelle Hinchey for the work she has done to get funding for water and sewer to our Firehouse and the wider community. The Firehouse is used for evacuation situations as well as a staging location for utility contractors, and the water system we currently have in place is not adequate to handle major disasters. This funding is crucial, and we’re grateful to Senator Hinchey for making sure we have the resources to continue protecting the community.”

Town of Saugerties resident Tom DiSimone, “As a senior citizen, the responsibility of maintaining our well is daunting. Neither my wife nor I are capable of keeping track of the water quality like we used to, and if something happened that required legitimate maintenance, we wouldn’t be able to handle it ourselves. With climate disasters looming over many parts of the country, switching to municipal water is a great decision for our street to make in order to guarantee our safety. I strongly support this municipal water extension and thank Senator Michelle Hinchey for delivering the funds to go forward with this important project.”

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