Environmental Advocates of New York provides detailed look at state funding for water improvement projects throughout Capital Region

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)- News10 ABC reported Monday that Environmental Advocates of New York said grants awarded under New York’s Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) were not enough to address the state’s rapidly aging water infrastructure. As part of their investigation, Environmental Advocates requested WIIA application information from 2015-2018 under the Freedom of Information Law and received a break down of project details.

Environment Advocates of New York, Clean Water Associate Robert Hayes says working with local governments highlights the reasons why more funding is needed for the WIIA program. He says there are water infrastructure projects in every county that local governments cannot afford.

Hayes says the WIIA program has made a difference throughout the state but approximately 50% of shovel-ready projects go without funding. In Warren County from 2015-2018, 28 WIIA applications were submitted but only five were awarded. Four of the 28 applications were considered either ineligible or incomplete and 19 shovel-ready applications did not receive funding. Out of 11 Capital Region counties, Warren County also had by far the most unawarded projects in 2018.

A total of 10 applications were submitted from Warren County municipalities in 2018. One application was considered ineligible. Out of the nine remaining applications, two were awarded leaving seven projects with a total cost of $15.6 million dollars unfunded.

The largest Capital Region counties generally received a majority of grant money awarded to the region. Between 2015-2018 Albany County received the most grant money, almost $32.8 million for 16 projects. Rensselaer County received the second most amount of grant money, approximately $26.8 million for 14 projects. Saratoga the third most amount, slightly more than $23 million for 13 projects.

2015-2018 WIIA award amounts by county

2015-2018 WIIA application totals

2018 shovel-ready unawarded applications

Albany County

• Town of Colonie- grant dollars requested $489,000- project cost $1.95 million.
• Village of Menands- grant dollars requested $761,160- project cost $1.26 million.

Columbia County

• Columbia County- grant dollars requested $3.68 million- project cost $9.2 million.
• Village of Kinderhook- grant dollars requested $240,000- project cost $400,000.

Fulton County

• Village of Mayfield- grant dollars requested $407,700- project cost $1.28 million.

Greene County

• Village of Coxsackie- grant dollars requested $2 million- project cost $5 million.

Montgomery County

• N/A

Rensselaer County

• City of Troy- grant dollars requested $3 million- project cost $39.3 million.

Saratoga County

• Village of South Glens Falls- grant dollars requested $800,000- project cost $2 million.
• Village of Stillwater- grant dollars requested $322,200- project cost $537,000.

Schenectady County

• Town of Princetown- grant dollars requested $600,000- project cost $1 million.
• Town of Scotia- grant dollars requested $1.48 million- project cost $2.47 million.

Schoharie County

• Village of Esperance- grant dollars requested $1.8 million- project cost $7.2 million.

Warren County

• Town of Chester- grant dollars requested $263,538- project cost $521,230.
• City of Glens Falls- grant dollars requested $2 million- project cost $3.37 million.
• City of Glens Falls- grant dollars requested $1.3 million- project cost $3.26 million.
• City of Glens Falls- grant dollars requested $1.88 million- project cost $3.14 million.
• Town of Lake Luzerne- grant dollars requested $1.5 million- project cost $2.5 million.
• Town of Queensbury- grant dollars requested $395,286- project cost $1.58 million.
• Town of Warrensburg- grant dollars requested $745,050- project cost $1.24 million.

Washington County

• Village of Fort Edward- grant dollars requested $2.77 million- project cost $4.61 million.

The state’s entire county breakout can be found on the Environmental Advocates of New York website.

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