State Outreach Connects Communities to Experts and Resources to Increase Access to Clean Water Funding
Builds on Governor’s Long-Term Strategy to Modernize New York’s Water Systems – Including 2024 State of the State Agenda to Help Small, Rural, and Disadvantaged Communities Leverage Investments
Today on World Water Day, Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted the success of New York’s Community Assistance Teams initiative as part of her long-term strategy to help local governments across the state address their water infrastructure needs. Since Governor Hochul launched this program in February 2023, the inter-agency teams have worked one-on-one with 85 municipalities by request and hosted 18 regional webinars and events, drawing participation from more than 500 local government representatives. This outreach has state experts working shoulder-to-shoulder with municipalities to help them assess their water infrastructure needs, identify solutions, and access funding. The program is being expanded as part of the clean water agenda in Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State, including increasing grants for small, rural, and disadvantaged communities.
“All New Yorkers deserve clean, safe water, regardless of where they live,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration is committed to lifting barriers to ensure all communities can access these investments and build healthier, thriving neighborhoods.”
Connecting Communities to Experts and Resources
Many communities face water infrastructure challenges, including aging systems, workforce shortages, increasing costs, and declining rate bases. These challenges can be compounded in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities.
The Community Assistance Teams serve an important role in helping to ensure that historically underserved communities receive the help they need to jumpstart their projects and submit acceptable funding applications. The teams are coordinated by the State Environmental Facilities Corporation in partnership with the Departments of Environmental Conservation, Health, and State, and the Division of Homes and Community Renewal. Providing central access to the agencies that provide water funding helps communities access solutions that fit their unique needs.
One-On-One Meetings
The teams offer one-on-one meetings either on-site in the community or virtually. When a community requests a meeting, staff offer consultations to discuss their water infrastructure needs and connect them to programs based on eligibility. Staff help communities effectively prepare to submit applications by explaining processes, deadlines, and the types of supporting documentation they must submit to be competitive.
For example, any community that’s applying for low-cost loans from the State Revolving Funds must submit an acceptable engineering report for their project. These reports identify best-fit solutions for advancing well-designed, resilient, and fiscally sound projects to construction. The Community Assistance Teams connect eligible communities to EFC’s Engineering Planning Grant program that can help them develop an engineering report, which helps set the stage for a successful funding application when the project is shovel ready.
The teams are also helping communities that are further along in the planning process, such as providing guidance about how to improve funding applications for eligible projects or connecting them to additional State programs or resources. Five communities that worked with the Community Assistance Teams received State water grants announced by Governor Hochul in December 2023:
- Village of Canton
- Village of Lyndonville
- Village of Parish
- Town of Potsdam
- City of Yonkers
It is expected even more communities will start applying for grants and listing their projects for financing, with the first full funding cycle underway since the initiative launched. The deadline is June 14 for State water grant applications as well as project listings for the State Revolving Funds. Any community that needs help with its water infrastructure is encouraged to request a meeting at www.efc.ny.gov/cat.
Monthly Regional Events & Webinars are Continuing
To date, the teams have coordinated regional events for communities across the state, in the Capital District, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Long Island, North Country, Mid-Hudson, Southern Tier, and Western New York regions. The teams also hold virtual question and answer sessions every month that are open to any community. These events include a comprehensive presentation of all available water infrastructure funding programs, as well as discussions with local governments about their needs. Upcoming events include:
- Mohawk Valley Regional Webinar: March 27, 11 a.m.
- Monthly Webinar for All Communities: March 29, 11 a.m.
- North Country Regional Webinar: April 12, 11 a.m.
- Monthly Webinar for All Communities: April 26, 11 a.m.
More details and registration are available at www.efc.ny.gov/cat, where future events will be advertised.
Expanding Targeted Outreach
Staff have already undertaken targeted outreach to engage municipalities who have never received financial assistance from EFC or haven’t sought funding from EFC in at least five years. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, EFC is expanding the Community Assistance Teams initiative by conducting targeted outreach to municipalities with populations of 3,500 or less.
Environmental Facilities Corporation President & CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, “The Community Assistance Teams are a critical link for many communities who need help with their water infrastructure. I applaud our program staff who are dedicated to the success of this initiative. The goal is that no community, regardless of size or resources, will be left behind in New York's commitment to cleaner, safer water."
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “When traveling around the state and meeting with municipal leaders, water infrastructure needs are a top priority. It is critical that New York State not only continue providing funding, but also the resources to help secure it. Governor Hochul’s Community Assistance Teams initiative is making tremendous progress helping more cities, towns, and villages succeed in accessing the record funding being made available and supporting more projects in the communities that need them the most.”
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s commitment to clean and safe drinking water, support through the New York’s Community Assistance Teams enables municipalities to navigate the planning process for critically important projects that will safeguard the health of their residents. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for water infrastructure planning, so it’s important that we’re able to offer support to help guide what can often be a complex process based on the unique needs of each community. We thank our partners for their collaborative leadership in protecting drinking water sources and public health for all New Yorkers.”
Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said, “New York State’s nation-leading investment in clean water infrastructure helps create healthy communities by undertaking water projects that are vital to public health, quality of life, and environmental protection. As we celebrate Water World Day, we also need to commend Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment in assisting New York’s municipalities to identify infrastructure needs, pinpoint solutions, and offer access to funding in order to continue building world class drinking water networks across our great state.”
HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “By helping municipalities upgrade critical water infrastructure through the Community Assistance Teams, we are investing in a safer, healthier, and more livable future for all New Yorkers. HCR is committed to supporting water and sewer systems in upstate small cities and rural areas and provides more than $20 million in NYS Community Development Block Grant funding annually to support these improvements. On World Water Day, HCR is proud to be a part of Governor Hochul’s coordinated efforts to tackle water quality issues statewide and ensure equitable access to clean, safe water.”
New York's Commitment to Water Quality
New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure, including $325 million in grant opportunities made available in January. With Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget’s proposed $500 million over two years, New York will have invested a total of $5.5 billion in water infrastructure since 2017.
The funding is in addition to other substantial water quality investments, including the voter-approved $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 which is advancing 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, and preserve outdoor spaces and local farms. Disadvantaged Communities will receive at least 35 percent of the benefits of Bond Act funding, with a goal of 40 percent. The first round of funding under the Environmental Bond Act was awarded by EFC in December through the WIIA/IMG programs, when Governor Hochul announced $479 million in grants to 156 projects across New York State.