Nassau and Suffolk Counties are set to receive a sizable portion of state funds aimed at clean water, as part of the state’s Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.
The bond act was on the 2022 ballot, and overwhelmingly passed. According to Gov. Hochul, New York State will be giving $479 million in grants to various water districts.
A quick look at the website shows how much money Long Island’s water districts will be receiving.
“No one in New York should ever fear that they don’t have access to clean water,” Hochul said. ”We are reassuring communities across New York that your kids, grandkids, and great grandkids will always have access to clean and safe water. This investment will make lifesaving improvements to our water infrastructure and safeguard drinking water for millions of people, in addition to saving New Yorkers money and creating tens of thousands of jobs.”
A news release by Hochul’s office stated that this is “empowering municipalities by providing the financial resources necessary to undertake water quality projects crucial to safeguarding public health, protecting the environment, bolstering communities’ climate readiness, and promoting economic development. The funding announced today is projected to save local ratepayers an estimated $1.3 billion and create 24,000 jobs across the state. ”
Portions of this money will go towards replacing old septic systems in both Nassau and Suffolk County, something Nassau has already been doing.
“I have to put a special thank you in for the not only the $20 million for Suffolk County to continue the septic replacement program, which many of us have worked so hard on, but Nassau County’s $2 million grant to continue their septic replacement program,” Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said. “And those replacement programs are really at the heart of the Long Island nitrogen plan being done by the DEC’s Long Island Sound nitrogen reduction plan.”
Clean water has been a hot button issue on Long Island recently. The Suffolk County Legislature voted along party lines to keep the Suffolk County Water Quality Protection Act off the November ballot as a referendum.
Democrat Legislator Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) told the Press it should be in the hands of the voters, while Republican Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) argued that Suffolk already had a clean water fund, and this act would needlessly raise taxes.
