THOMPSON—The Town of Thompson will receive some much-needed funds from New York State to aid in rebuilding water infrastructure for the town.

Recently, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that nearly $300 million is being awarded to communities across New York. The $300 million will filter through the Water Infrastructure Improvement Grant, Intermunicipal Grant, Green Innovation Grant, and Engineering Planning Grant programs to support critical water infrastructure projects across New York State, and Thompson is one of them.

For the Emerald Green Waste Water Treatment Plant Upgrade and Expansion Project, the town will receive $3.3 million. For its Sackett Lake Sewer District Collection System Improvement Project, the town will receive $421,281.

“These water infrastructure grants coupled with USDA and bipartisan infrastructure grants will greatly reduce the impact on the ratepayers in our five sewer districts,” said Town of Thompson Supervisor Bill Rieber Jr.

According to the state, grants like these are projected to save taxpayers an estimated $1 billion across the state.

The Emerald Green Water Treatment Plant has been in service for nearly 30 years and is reaching the end of its design life.

The estimated cost to upgrade the facility is approximately $13.4 million. The town would recoup part of that cost through debt charges to those who live in the district.

For Sackett Lake, the town has received violations for infiltration during large weather events. To meet the new requirements from the state, an upgrade to its collection system is needed according to the Town of Thompson’s Master Plan. The estimated cost to upgrade and improve the waste collection is $1.6 million.

With these grants, the state hopes to safeguard drinking water from the risk of toxic chemicals, increase community resilience to flooding, regionalize water systems, support local economies, and are critical to protecting public health and the environment.

Governor Hochul added, “We are proud to support municipalities with a historic level of funding for water infrastructure improvements, and we’ll continue our efforts to modernize our infrastructure and provide safe, reliable water systems for generations to come.”

Rieber concluded, “With the help of my staff, engineering team, and our Town Board, we have been applying for every grant available. Thankfully, largely due to planning in advance, we have been very successful.”