Assemblyman Otis (D- Rye) today announced that the application period for 2019 round of State Clean Water Grants is now open and is reaching out to Westchester local governments to take advantage of the successful funding program.

Assemblyman Otis stated, “Governor Cuomo has kicked off the application period for what is the most aggressive clean water funding program in the country. I urge Westchester local governments to again look at their water infrastructure needs and apply for these state grants to make clean water projects more affordable for local taxpayers. Thanks to the Governor’s leadership $350 million will be available statewide this year, a new high for a program that began in 2015 with plans for $75 million a year.”

The NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation administers the programs, which provide state grants to help fund municipal clean water infrastructure projects. Applications for the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act Grant, Inter-municipal Water Infrastructure Grant and Emergent Contaminants are now being accepted with information available on the EFC website (www.efc.ny.gov). The deadline for all applications is Friday, September 13th, at 5:00 p.m.

Assemblyman Otis proposed and helped create the clean water grant programs through the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) of 2015 along with colleagues in the Assembly, Senate and Governor Cuomo. The Governor greatly expanded New York’s commitment to clean water programs with a comprehensive program of clean water initiatives backed by multi-year funding of $2.5 billion in 2017 and again in 2019. Due to the tremendous response to the program by local governments, environmental, and construction groups, the program has grown in financial reach and support every year. It is the largest recipient of the Governor’s over $5 billion in comprehensive clean water programs.

To date over $775 million in grants has been awarded to over 450 municipal clean water projects around the state since 2015. In 2018 over $49 million was awarded to Hudson Valley applications, the largest share of statewide awards last year.