Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE-Sag Harbor) announced funding opportunities that are available as part of the $2.5 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 which invests in clean and drinking water infrastructure projects and water quality protection across the State of New York.

Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) grants will provide $225 million in funding this year, with one half allocated for drinking water projects, and the other half allocated for wastewater infrastructure projects. Under this program, Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) provides grants to assist municipalities in funding water quality infrastructure projects for the replacement or repair of infrastructure or for compliance with relevant environmental and public health laws. Awardees will receive grants of either 25% of eligible project costs or $5 million, whichever is less, for wastewater infrastructure projects. Drinking water project awardees will receive 60% of eligible project costs or $3 million, whichever is less.

The Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 also provides at least $150 million to fund the new Intermunicipal Grant Program (IMG), with $30 million available in 2017. Under this program, EFC will provide grants for water quality infrastructure projects to be undertaken by two or more cooperating municipalities. IMG funding will be awarded to projects for the construction, replacement or repair of water quality infrastructure or for compliance with environmental and public health laws. Projects may include shared water quality infrastructure or interconnection of multiple municipal water systems. To be eligible, cooperating municipalities must have a current, executed Intermunicipal Agreement pertaining to the project to be funded. Successful applicants will receive 40% of eligible project costs or $10 million, whichever is less.

A grant application and documentation sufficient for a project to be considered for either the WIIA grant or the IMG grant must be submitted to EFC no later than 5:00 p.m., June 23, 2017.

Additional information, program guidance and access to the online application can be found on the EFC website, www.efc.ny.gov/NYSWaterGrants .