Tonawanda, NY – Today, April 22, 2022, New York State Senator Sean Ryan and Assemblymember Bill Conrad announced that the Town of Tonawanda is receiving a $3 million state grant funded by the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act to help pay for upgrades to the filtration system at the Town of Tonawanda Water Treatment Plant.

The Town of Tonawanda Water Treatment Plant has the capacity to treat 24 million gallons of water per day, ensuring the town’s water is safe for residents to drink. The tiles on the water treatment plant’s filter, which were installed when the facility was constructed in 1956, are beginning to fail as they reach the end of their expected lifespan. With this grant secured, planning has begun for a project to replace the aging tiles with modern, improved tiles and replace all 12 of the plant’s filter beds. The modernization project will improve the plant’s filtration process and allow the plant to continue its operations uninterrupted. The grant will cover 60% of the estimated cost of the $5 million project.

The grant is part of a $638 million state investment in water infrastructure projects across the state. These grants will fund nearly 200 projects to protect public health or improve water quality in New York in 2022. More than $36.5 million was awarded to municipalities in Western New York; the investment is projected to contribute 2,380 jobs to the Western New York economy and save Western New York localities an estimated $116 million.

Senator Sean Ryan said, “When we turn on the taps in our kitchens and bathrooms, it is easy to take our clean drinking water for granted. We have that luxury because of the important work of our water treatment plants. This investment will allow the Tonawanda Water Treatment Plant to make necessary updates to outdated components before they become a problem and will in turn help protect the health and safety of the people of Tonawanda.”

Assemblymember Bill Conrad said, “Sound water quality is absolutely critical to the health and safety of our residents, so it's important that all levels of government offer support in the pursuit of our collective water quality goals. These funds will assist municipalities, like the Town of Tonawanda, as they work to maintain and enhance the facilities that deliver clean drinking water to their communities, while relieving the fiscal burden on local taxpayers. I applaud the Town on its awarded grant, and I thank the Governor and Environmental Facilities Corporation for their attention to water infrastructure needs, here in our region and across New York State.”

Joseph Emminger, Supervisor, Town of Tonawanda, said, “We are very grateful to Senator Ryan and Assemblyman Conrad for securing this grant for our aging water treatment plant. Like most buildings over 60 years old, our plant is in need of upgrades and the upgrade to the filtration system is critical to our ability to be able to provide clean, safe drinking water to our residents and businesses for decades to come.”

Shannon Patch, Deputy Supervisor and Chair of the Water Resources Committee, Town of Tonawanda, said, “Water infrastructure is one of the most important investments we can make in our community. Access to water is key to keep businesses humming and supports the quality of life for our residents. We are grateful to Senator Ryan and Assemblymember Conrad for always supporting and focusing on the most important needs in Tonawanda.”

Michael Kessler, Director of Water Resources, Town of Tonawanda, said, “With this money, we will be able to remove the original tiles on the plant’s filters, which date back to the 1950s, and install state-of-the-art replacements. The project will improve the plant’s filtering process, which is essential to producing water that is safe to drink for the Town of Tonawanda.”