New York State recently announced more than $29.4 million in grants to support 29 water quality and climate resiliency projects in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Region 5.
The awards are part of more than $265 million in investments recently announced by Governor Kathy Hochul to help protect drinking water, improve climate resilience, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms, and secure statewide access to clean water.
Today’s announcement is supported by funding from multiple grant programs administered by DEC and the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) and investments from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, Environmental Protection Fund, and other sources. The programs—Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP), Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Mapping Grant (NPG), and Resilient Watersheds Grant (RWG)—help protect communities and water quality while reinforcing the State’s support for municipalities by making these critical projects more affordable and minimizing the financial burden on local taxpayers.
“Since taking office, and most recently in the 2026 State of the State, Governor Hochul continues to provide unprecedented resources to invest in climate resiliency and water infrastructure to support communities across the State,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “With more than $265 million from multiple programs, including $185 million supporting improvements in environmental justice communities, the awarded projects will help our municipal partners achieve meaningful reductions in flood risk, protect drinking water, improve aquatic habitat, and safeguard residents from increasingly severe weather events.”
“Governor Hochul is investing billions in water infrastructure every year to help local governments affordably advance crucial water quality and resiliency projects,” EFC President and CEO Maureen Coleman said, “By pairing Environmental Bond Act funding with other State program funding to support new and signature programs, every dollar goes further and brings New York closer to a safer, more sustainable future. The new Resilient Watersheds Grant program will jumpstart flood-mitigation projects in some of the most at-risk communities while creating good-paying jobs that drive local economies.”
The funding complements the historic environmental investments announced earlier this week in the 2026 State of the State, building upon the record support for New York State’s premier grant programs that fund critical water infrastructure, protect drinking water, and safeguard communities.
Saratoga County
• Saratoga County Soil and Water Conservation District:
• $600,000 through WQIP for a salt storage shed construction project at the Town of Wilton Highway Garage to reduce salt runoff and protect groundwater and water quality in the Snook Kill watershed.
• City of Saratoga Springs:
• $520,000 through WQIP for a culvert replacement project on Gilbert Road. A larger, concrete structure will improve aquatic organism passage, reduce sedimentation, and increase flood resilience in the Fish Creek watershed.
• $450,000 through WQIP for replacement of a structurally compromised culvert that is impacting aquatic connectivity and water quality. The project will restore aquatic organism passage, mitigate flood hazards, and improve overall stream function in the Saratoga Lake watershed.
• City of Mechanicville:
• $30,000 through NPG to update existing MS4 mapping to address gaps in data critical to mitigating flood risk and managing discharges to the Hudson River watershed.
More than $208 million was awarded to 131 projects statewide through DEC’s WQIP grant program. WQIP grants fund projects that directly improve water quality or habitat; promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency; or protect a drinking water source. View a full list of grant awards.
A total of $2.9 million was awarded to 44 projects through DEC’s NPG program to fund the initial planning of WQIPs, such as replacing undersized culverts, implementing green infrastructure, and completing State permit-required storm sewer mapping in urban areas. NPG projects reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff entering lakes, rivers, and streams, and improve resiliency against the impacts of climate change. View a full list of grant awards.
In addition, $55 million in new grant funding was awarded to 24 climate resiliency projects in 15 communities across New York State. EFC, in coordination with DEC, administers the RWG program funded through the Environmental Bond Act. RWG projects were selected to reflect the diverse, statewide issues that New Yorkers are facing and include stream and floodplain restoration; removal of dams, culverts and other barriers; culvert replacements; and property buyouts. The RWG program builds on the success of DEC’s Resilient NY, which delivers state-of-the-art studies of flood-prone, high-risk watersheds across the state. All awarded projects were recommended actions by Resilient NY studies or a comparable flood study.
