Diverse Coalition of Environmental Groups, Drinking Water Suppliers, and Wastewater Treatment Operators Join in Albany to Present Plan to Provide Clean and Affordable Water for All New Yorkers

In the face of cuts to clean water programs and critical agency staff at the federal level, the NY Clean Water Coalition calls on NY to step up and increase clean water funding and protections

For immediate release: Tuesday, February 25, 2025

For more information, contact:

Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, 631-384-1378, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org

Brian Smith, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, 716-472-4078, bsmith@citizenscampaign.org

Albany, NY—Today the New York State Clean Water Coalition announced their 2025 Clean Water Agenda in Albany. From increased funding for clean water infrastructure, to increased staffing at the Department of Health, to policies that would eliminate toxic PFAS chemicals from products, and more, the 2025 Clean Water Agenda lays out budget and policy priorities needed to protect New York’s water, from its source to our taps. The Coalition stressed the urgency for New York State to act, given the federal administration's efforts to halt federal funding, cut staff at environmental agencies, and rollback clean water protections.

The Coalition joined with Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick, chairs of the Senate and Assembly Environmental Conservation Committees, to call for increased funding in the 2025-2026 budget for the NYS Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA). The coalition is requesting $600 million. Governor Hochul has proposed to maintain funding for the program at $500 million in her executive budget proposal. The U.S. EPA estimates a $90 billion need to upgrade and maintain wastewater and drinking water infrastructure in NYS.

Senator Harckham, Chair, Environmental Conservation Committee said: “The Clean Water Infrastructure Act has helped communities across the state with vital water quality improvements for their residents. We need to increase our commitment in protecting our fragile drinking water supplies to ensure long-term sustainability for our residents.”

“All New Yorkers deserve access to clean, safe drinking water. The Clean Water Infrastructure Act is critical funding that has made progress in addressing some of New York’s aging water infrastructure, but each year, the need is far greater than the funds available. As we look at the increased flooding and storm surges that come with climate change, along with uncertainty of support from the federal government, New York investing in clean water has never been more important. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature along with advocates to ensure that CWIA funds are prioritized in the final budget agreement,” said Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee.

Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said: “New York’s Clean Water Infrastructure Act has been a resounding success for our environment and economy, but we have much more work to do. Now, as the federal government signals an assault on clean water protections, it’s more important than ever for New York to step up and increase clean water funding and protections. We look forward to working with Governor Hochul, Senator Harckham, Assemblymember Glick and other elected leaders to meet the moment and take every action needed to protect clean and affordable water for all New Yorkers.”

Jenny Ingrao-Aman, Executive Director, New York Section American Water Works Association said: "New York’s water systems are at a critical crossroads. With federal cuts threatening clean water programs and environmental protections, it is imperative that our state steps up to invest in our water infrastructure, workforce, and regulatory agencies. We urge our state leaders to prioritize increased funding to protect public health, safeguard our environment, and secure the future of New York’s water systems."

Rob Hayes, Senior Director of Clean Water with Environmental Advocates NY, said, "Every county in New York State has benefitted from the Clean Water Infrastructure Act. These grants are protecting public health, creating good-paying union jobs, and keeping water bills affordable. But the need to safeguard our drinking water is greater than ever, especially with new federal requirements to replace dangerous lead pipes and filter toxic PFAS chemicals. We are grateful for Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick's leadership in advocating to increase Clean Water Infrastructure Act funding to $600 million this year, and we look forward to the State Legislature and Governor including this investment in the final state budget."

Jill Jedlicka, executive director of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper stated: “State funding is crucial to the health of New York’s Great Lakes and our other waterways in Western New York. Local communities continue to be challenged by crumbling water infrastructure, the threat of PFAS and lead in our drinking water supplies, and the need for source water protection. The most important action our leaders can take is to ensure that policies like the Clean Water Infrastructure Act are funded at meaningful levels relative to the scale of the problem. Our lawmakers in New York State have demonstrated leadership on these issues before. Today, our communities are counting on our Governor, legislative leadership and Western New York representatives to unite and rise to the occasion again to protect the health and integrity of Western New York’s waterways and Great Lakes.”

"New Yorkers deserve clean, safe water — but right now, too many communities are struggling with failing pipes, sewage overflows, and drinking water contamination," said Jeremy Cherson, Associate Director of Government Affairs for Riverkeeper. "With the chaos at the federal level, we can’t afford to wait. The Clean Water Infrastructure Act has been a game-changer, but demand now exceeds the funding available. That’s why our broad coalition of environmental advocates, wastewater and drinking water utilities, and workers are calling on the Legislature to increase funding to $600 million. This is about protecting our health, our economy, and our future."

David Ansel, vice president of water protection, Save the Sound: "Nitrogen pollution is the leading threat to water quality in Long Island Sound. Clean Water Infrastructure Act programs like the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, Intermunicipal Grant program, and the Septic System Replacement Program support communities seeking to repair and upgrade their infrastructure to reduce nitrogen pollution in their bays and harbors and protect habitat and marine life. To meet the growing challenges in the Long Island Sound region and across the state, clean water infrastructure funding must keep up with rising costs. That is why Save the Sound supports a $100 million increase to the CWIA in the budget for FY2026."

The CWIA supports a number of programs that work to protect clean water, from its source to the tap. This includes, but is not limited to, upgrading outdated sewage treatment plants, installing advanced treatment technology to filter emerging contaminants from drinking water, lead pipe replacement, replacing failing septic systems, acquiring land critical to protecting source water, reducing pollution from farms that impact water quality, and more. The state has appropriated $5.5 billion to the CWIA since its inception in 2017.

The Coalition highlighted several points to justify a funding increase, including but not limited to:

• An estimated 296 communities across New York State will have to comply with new federal drinking water regulations for dangerous PFAS chemicals, costing communities hundreds of millions of dollars to install new drinking water treatment technology.

• Federal regulations require that New York State replace all of its estimated 494,000 lead pipes by 2037, which is estimated to cost up to $5 billion.

• According to the EPA, New York’s wastewater and drinking water needs have reached nearly $90 billion

• New York can and must spend more:

  • In 2024, NYS awarded approximately $800 million to at least 250 projects through the CWIA—far exceeding the $600 million request being supported by coalition.

  • The Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA), a program within the CWIA, was significantly oversubscribed in 2024—271 eligible, shovel-ready applications, requesting $744 million, did not receive the funding they needed.

• CWIA is estimated to create 17 jobs for every million dollars invested. Extrapolated out for the $5.5 billion appropriated thus far, the CWIA is estimated to create over 93,000 jobs!