Schenectady Granted $10M State Funding for Mohawk River Sustainability

The generous $10 million grant, courtesy of the state Department of Environmental ‍Conservation, will empower the city to expand its collection system pumping capacity and minimize inflow to the river ⁢system. The project is meticulously designed to curtail⁢ sanitary sewer overflows during periods of heavy rainfall.

The ultimate goal of⁢ the project is to significantly⁤ improve the⁢ water quality of the Mohawk River.

According to Schenectady Mayor ⁤Gary McCarthy, this project has been in ‍the pipeline for several years, with the city having submitted ⁣its ​state application within the⁤ past year.

“This‍ is a monumental step towards ensuring our services remain affordable and we continue to ‌provide top-notch water and wastewater treatment ‌facilities for the ‍residents and businesses in Schenectady and some of the neighboring‍ communities,” ​he expressed ​on Tuesday.

In addition to this, the city⁣ is set‍ to receive $50,000 in⁢ funding from ⁣the state Environmental⁢ Facilities Corporation (EFC) for an engineering report. This ⁢report will explore potential ⁣upgrades to the city’s South Ferry Street Pump⁤ Station and Broadway Pump Station.

“The piping in that area has been in place for quite some time and it’s undersized,” McCarthy noted.

The state funding will enable the city ⁣to strategize ⁣and⁣ design replacements for the two pump stations, which are currently‍ affected by extreme weather conditions.

The preliminary engineering report, ‍funded by the⁤ grant, will suggest replacement equipment and features to address planned ⁢upgrades​ at the pump facilities.

McCarthy emphasized that the two state grants for the⁣ river project and the pump​ station reconstruction are interconnected.

“During high water events, additional water⁣ infiltrates into the wastewater system, which increases the utilization of the wastewater treatment facility on Anthony Street,” McCarthy explained.

The pump station grant⁢ is a part of a ​whopping $166 ​million in ⁢state funding⁤ that is being distributed to 187 projects statewide. This is part‍ of a concerted effort to enhance water quality.

The grant‌ funding encompasses projects that aim to safeguard drinking water, modernize aging water ​infrastructure, tackle contributors to ‍harmful algal blooms, and‍ improve aquatic habitat in communities across the ⁣state.

“New York’s record investments in water quality ⁢continue to⁢ protect New Yorkers’⁣ health, the economy,​ and quality of ⁣life,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a ​statement. “Communities across the state will benefit from this critical water infrastructure funding, which will‌ protect water ‍quality, prevent⁤ pollution and ⁤improve habitats.”