The Peru Gazette

Chazy, City and Town of Plattsburgh, Trout Unlimited, and Saranac School District Awarded Grants

Hochul News Release of Jan. 15, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $265 million in grants to support projects that will help protect drinking water, improve climate resilience, update aging water infrastructure, reduce contributors to harmful algal blooms, and secure access to clean water. 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’s premier grant programs that fund critical water infrastructure, protect drinking water and safeguard communities.

Today’s announcement is supported by funding from multiple grant programs administered by the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and 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 help protect New York State 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. 

More than $209 million was awarded to 131 projects through DEC’s Water Quality Improvement Project (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. A full list of grant awards can be found here.

A total of $2.9 million is being awarded to 44 projects through DEC’s Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and MS4 System Mapping Grant (NPG) to fund projects that help pay for the initial planning of water quality improvement projects such as replacing undersized culvert, green infrastructure, and 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. A full list of grant awards can be found here.

Governor Hochul also announced $55 million in new grant funding for 24 climate resiliency projects in 15 communities across New York State. EFC, in coordination with DEC, administers the Resilient Watersheds Grants (RWG) program funded through the 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.  A full list of grant awards can be found here.

The Peru Gazette identified the following projects in Clinton County: 

Water Quality Improvement Grants (WQIP)

Town of Chazy, Wastewater Filtration Improvements. The Town of Chazy will install a tertiary filtration system and upgrade control systems to its wastewater treatment plant. The improvements will reduce the discharge of phosphorus, improving water quality in the Lake Champlain watershed.- $1,993,646.00

Trout Unlimited, Inc. Saranac River Reconnection. Trout Unlimited will coordinate with local municipal partners to replace a failing culvert in the Town of Franklin and remove a derelict dam in the Town of Saranac. The project will connect eight stream miles of trout habitat in the Saranac River. Clinton, Franklin Aquatic Connectivity –  $327,584.00

DEC’s Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and MS4 System Mapping Grant (NPG)

Town of Plattsburgh Infrastructure Engineering Feasibility Study. The Town of Plattsburgh will develop a green infrastructure feasibility study to explore practices that would divert and infiltrate stormwater runoff on the Plattsburgh Air Force Base property. Drainage from the property is currently discharging to Lake Champlain. Implementation of study recommendations will ultimately reduce nutrient and sediment loading to the lake. Clinton Nonpoint Source, Planning Report – $50,000.00

Environmental Bond Act Projects. Phase 3, Environmental Facilities Corp, Plattsburgh – $5,000,000

Electric School Buses for Saranac School District, NYSERDA – $514,500

Electric School Bus Chargers for Saranac School District, NYSERDA  – $130,000

MacDonough Park Flood Resiliency Improvements, DOS, City of Plattsburgh – $1,181,812

Saranac River Reconnection, DEC –  $327,584