All Long Islanders agree about the need for clean water [“Clean-water funding is crucial in state budget,” Opinion, March 24]. Nitrogen pollution from sewage is causing water quality impairments, fish kills and harmful algal blooms. Contaminants poses a significant threat to our drinking water and health. The good news is that we know how to solve these problems, but we need money.
Proposed cut is rejected with final budget providing full funding at $500 million for clean water infrastructure projects
CCE applauds elected leaders for securing vital funding that helps to provide safe and affordable drinking water to New York’s communities
For immediate release: April 19, 2024
For more information, contact:
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, 516-390-7150, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org
Brian Smith, Associate Executive Director, 716-472-4078, bsmith@citizenscampaign.org
Albany, NY— Today CCE is celebrating the allocation of $500 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA) included in the final 2024-25 state budget. The CWIA program allows communities to upgrade sewers and septic systems, fix drinking water pipes, install treatment technology for emerging contaminants, protect source water, and more. Since 2017, New York has provided $5 billion for this important program, which has provided significant results for New York’s environment and economy. While previous budgets have allocated $500 million per year for clean water, Governor Hochul originally proposed $250 million in her SFY 2024-25 Executive Budget proposal. The Senate and Assembly budgets both proposed to restore the funding for this important program, and $500 million for the CWIA was ultimately included in the final budget.
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), issued the following statement:
“Citizens Campaign for the Environment is thrilled that Clean Water Infrastructure Act funding, which helps protect our water from its source to our taps, was restored in this year’s budget. New York has made significant investments in clean water in recent years, but it’s only a drop in the bucket of the $80 billion needed to upgrade aging wastewater and drinking water infrastructure over 20 years. Our communities continue to struggle with nitrogen pollution and harmful algal blooms caused by aging sewage infrastructure, sink holes and water main breaks, lead pipes, and emerging contaminants such as PFAS and 1,4-dioxane in drinking water. Ignoring these problems does not make them go away. It will only become more expensive over time while putting our environment and public health at greater risk.
Robust funding in recent years has helped to advance numerous successful clean water projects, and we are thrilled to see funding restored in this year’s budget, which will allow communities to continue progress toward safe and affordable drinking water for all New Yorkers. CCE thanks environmental champions Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick, along with Speaker Heastie, Majority Leader Stewart Cousins, and Governor Hochul for working to restore this critical funding in the final budget.”
