Regional Water Quality Initiatives Secure More Than $4.8 million in State Economic Development Grants

The Capital District Regional Planning Commission (CDRPC) has announced that key regional water quality initiatives supported by the Commission will receive economic development funding from the state in the latest round of Regional Economic Development Council Awards.  The Commission was successful in securing more than $4.8 million in state grants to support regional efforts connected to improving water quality.

  • The Commission will receive a Local Government Efficiency grant of $220,000 which will benefit the Albany Pool Communities Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan The project to be managed by CDRPC will allow for the implementation of green infrastructure strategies to improve or optimize the performance of the existing combined sewer system in the Cities of Albany, Cohoes, Green Island, Rensselaer, Troy, and Watervliet; the Village of Green Island; and the Albany County and Rensselaer County Sewer Districts.
  • The Albany Pool Communities will also receive a Water Quality Improvement Program grant of $178,500. This grant will support wastewater infrastructure improvements in Cohoes, Green Island, and Watervliet.  This project will maximize the treatment of wet weather flow and reduce overflow discharges by approximately 6 million gallons per year.

In addition, the Commission was pleased to learn that the City of Cohoes, the Albany Water Board, the Town of Brunswick, and the City of Rensselaer will receive grants that will positively impact regional water quality. The City of Cohoes will receive $900,000 to construct a dedicated storm sewer system in the Middle Vliet Street area. This project is part of the Albany Pool Communities Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Long Term Control Plan and will reduce the City’s combined sewer overflows into the Mohawk River. Though not part of the long term control plan, grants were also awarded to the Albany Water Board, the Albany Housing Authority, the Town of Brunswick, and the City of Rensselaer for projects which will further improve regional water quality.

A complete listing of the 2015 Regional Economic Development Council Awards can be found at https://www.ny.gov/sites/ny.gov/files/atoms/files/REDCAwardsBooklet2015.pdf.