More than $200 million in state and federal funding is expected to be loaned to Chemung County to finance projects to the county’s wastewater treatment plants.
In a release from Governor Kathy Hochul’s Office on Thursday, March 14, around $222 million in taxpayer money from the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will finance the already underway wastewater treatment plant consolidation project.
The project plans to provide modern updates and expansion to the 35-year-old Milton Street Wastewater Treatment Plant while taking the 50-year-old Lake Street Treatment Plant out of service.
In a breakdown of the funds Chemung County will see the following:
- $75,625,151 in short-term interest-free financing
- $75,625,151 in short-term market-rate financing
- $22,019,698 in long-term interest-free financing
- $25,000,000 in grant funding from the Bipartisan Infracture Law (BIL)
- $25,000,000 in funding from New York State’s Water Infrastructure Improvement grant program
Chemung County serves more than 60,000 people in its sewer district, with state officials saying that the money received will make a difference in modernizing the region and helping keep costs low for residents.
“I am proud to help deliver a whopping $200 million to Chemung County to make these critical upgrades,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “to help lower costs for our residents and keep the region’s beautiful waterways, like the Chemung River, free of sewage overflow,” he said.