SCHUMER APPLAUDS CHEMUNG COUNTY RECEIVING NEARLY $200 MILLION IN FED FUNDING VIA THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE & JOBS LAW TO MODERNIZE ITS AGING WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PROTECTING LOCAL WATERWAYS & EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Funding From Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law Schumer Championed Will Help Provide Massive Infusion of Grants & Loans Needed To Upgrade Chemung County’s Aging Wastewater Treatment Plants And Support Good-Paying Jobs In The Southern Tier

Schumer: Major Fed $$$ Are Flowing To Chemung County To Upgrade Critical Wastewater Infrastructure Thanks To Our Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Act!

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced Chemung County would receive a huge influx of approximately $200 million in federal funding in grants and loans via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act through NYS’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) to modernize and expand the Milton Street Wastewater Treatment Plant. Schumer said the funding is a massive boost for the Southern Tier’s water infrastructure and environment and will allow Chemung County to move forward on its long-awaited, much-needed project to upgrade and combine its two aging wastewater treatment plants into one regional treatment facility, protecting the water quality for the Chemung River and connected watershed.

“BIG federal dollars are flowing from our Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law to Chemung County today to modernize the region’s aging wastewater infrastructure. I am proud to help deliver a whopping $200 million to Chemung County to make these critical upgrades to help lower costs for our residents and keep the region’s beautiful waterways, like the Chemung River, free of sewage overflow,” said Senator Schumer. “With this federal investment, we are giving our communities in Chemung County the federal support they need to modernize critical water systems, all while creating a steady stream of jobs, jobs, jobs working to make our community a better place. I championed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because I knew it would help make long overdue investments in Upstate NY, and that those dollars would be well spent under the leadership of our Governor Kathy Hochul, and together I am proud to help deliver this major funding and to turn the tide on our aging water infrastructure and keep our Southern Tier’s waters clean.”

“Our team here in Chemung County has been working on the Consolidated Treatment Plant and System Overflow project for several years now, and the cost burden of the project on our system users is something we’ve been concerned about since the project started. The goal of the project is to have a more efficient, consolidated treatment plant and system in Chemung County that meets environmental standards, without overbuilding, and that’s what we’re building right now. The planning, design, engineering, construction and financing of this project is a huge undertaking and really unprecedented for our community, so we appreciate Senator Schumer for prioritizing our project and for his support of the project in the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Bill, as well we appreciate all of the state financing resources that have been directed toward the project,” said Jennifer Furman, Deputy County Executive, Chemung County.

This major federal investment will go towards the planning, design, and construction of the consolidation of the aging Milton Street Wastewater Treatment Plant and Lake Street Wastewater Treatment Plant. This funding will support the County’s ongoing efforts to install new equipment, increase treatment capacity to stop sewer overflows, and construct cost-effective wastewater improvements to ensure the facility’s compliance with federal and state requirements.

The funding announced today from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law that Schumer championed, which passes through the NYS Clean Water SRF, includes a $25,000,000 grant, $75,625,151 short-term interest-free financing, $75,625,151 short-term market-rate financing, and $22,019,698 long-term interest-free financing. In addition, New York State will provide a separate $25,000,000 Water Infrastructure Improvement grant for the planning, design, and construction for the consolidation of two county wastewater treatment plants.

Schumer explained the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act makes the single-largest investment ever in U.S. water infrastructure. In total, the bill includes over $50 billion for the EPA’s highly successful water infrastructure programs. Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRF) provide below-market rate loans and grants to fund water infrastructure improvements in municipalities across the state, which is how Chemung County was able to receive funding today. The senator said this project will help significantly improve water quality, modernize a vital wastewater treatment plant, and preserve the habitats of flourishing wildlife in nearby waterways.

Schumer has been a tireless advocate for the EPA’s Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds, securing historic investments for New York through this program, and benefitting communities like Chemung County. This year alone New York received a historic investment of $420,000,000 for the state’s Clean Water and Drinking Water SRFs. Since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was enacted in 2021, NYS has received hundreds of millions in funding for this program, boosting long overdue projects like Chemung County’s. By 2026, New York is expected to receive a total of approximately $2 billion in both the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds as well as direct grants to communities.

Schumer has also helped deliver directly for this project before, securing $1 million for this treatment facility in 2023. 

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