Herkimer receives $2.5M in federal loans and grants for water infrastructure projects
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kristen Gillibrand, both D-NY, recently announced the delivery of over $82 million to rural upstate New York communities for water infrastructure projects, including the town of Herkimer.
Herkimer will receive a combination of federal direct loans and grants totaling over $2.5 million to construct a new water district in the town, the senators said in a joint statement. The project will benefit businesses and a trailer park by connecting residents to the sewer district, according to the statement.
Eight other towns across the state will also receive funds for water infrastructure upgrades.
“All New Yorkers deserve to have access to safe, reliable water systems,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “This investment will help bring key water infrastructure upgrades to upstate New York and ensure families, business owners and farmers have the clean water they need. I am proud to deliver this funding and will continue to fight so all New Yorkers have access to safe and reliable water.”
About the funding
The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It represents a portion of the over $770 million that President Joe Biden’s administration announced recently to fund rural infrastructure projects across the country, according to the statement from the senators.
The senators said the funds will help bring clean water and sanitary wastewater systems, as well as economic growth, to upstate New York communities.
“From Greene to Massena, this funding is flowing to rural communities across upstate New York to support critical upgrades to water infrastructure, ensuring all New Yorkers have access to clean water and drinking water systems,” Schumer said in a statement. “By putting federal resources toward modern water infrastructure, these federal dollars are giving our rural families, businesses and farmers the contaminant-free water they deserve and need to thrive.”“Investments like these are a roadmap for how we not only give our rural communities the critical resources needed to ensure their water is safe, but are how we make federal investments needed to bring rural communities into the 21st century, all while creating a steady stream of jobs, jobs, jobs."
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Upstate New York rural water infrastructure funding
