Amsterdam lands water, sewer grants worth $3.9M

Six municipalities in Montgomery and Schoharie counties will receive state grants totaling $11.46 million to defray water and sewer infrastructure projects costing $23.27 million.

The largest in a series of grants announced this week in the Mohawk Valley will go to the city of Amsterdam, which will get $3.9 million for water and sewer projects expected to cost $9.1 million.

Similar grants announced in Montgomery and Schoharie counties by the state this week include:

Fonda, $2.16 million for a $3.6 million drinking water project.
Fonda, $275,000 for a $1.1 million wastewater project.
Fultonville, $540,000 for a $900,000 drinking water project.
Schoharie, $1.65 million for a $2.75 million drinking water project.
St. Johnsville, $400,000 for a $1.6 million wastewater project.
Sharon Springs, $2.53 million for a $4.22 million drinking water project.

The portion of the project costs not covered by the state grants will be financed with no- or low-interest state loans.

Amsterdam Mayor Michael Villa detailed the work to be done in a prepared statement issued Wednesday.

The $5.5 million drinking water system project will include sandblasting and recoating the interior of water storage tanks on Tecler Avenue and Locust Avenue; replacing about 50 fire hydrants and about 100 distribution line valves; rebuilding and replacing pressure-reducing valves; replacing deteriorated pipes and 20-inch valves at the city’s Brookside filtration plant; and installation of equipment that can monitor remote parts of the water system, such as the Glen Wild Reservoir.

The $3.6 million wastewater system project is designed to improve the sewage treatment plant and reduce the amount of stormwater seeping into sanitary sewer lines, which can overload the system. Specific components include replacement of aeration blowers, pumps, pipes and valves at the treatment plant; rehabilitating or replacing 15,000 linear feet of gravity-fed sanitary sewer pipes and 50 manholes; and rehabilitation of various pump stations citywide, through replacement of pumps, pipes, valves and controls, and the installation of standby emergency generators.

The grants are part of $255 million in funding for municipalities statewide to support critical water quality infrastructure projects under the $2.5 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017.

Last week, the state announced a similar round of grants to other municipalities. These included:

Lake George village, $4.3 million toward a $17 million sewage treatment project.
Rotterdam, $3 million toward a $5.1 million water main replacement.
Round lake, $711,000 grant toward a $1.2 million water improvement project.
Saratoga County Water Authority, $3 million toward a $7.6 million interconnection project.
Scotia, $425,000 toward $1.7 million in water system improvements.
Waterford town, $793,500 grant toward a $1.3 million drinking water project.