CORTLAND, N.Y. — The city of Cortland will receive a $1.38 million state grant and a $920,000 loan for a multi-million dollar project to improve drinking water, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.
Cortland is one of 12 municipalities to receive grant funding under the second round of New York State Water Grants funded through the state's Water Infrastructure Improvement Act.
Grant awards were based on a system that gave priority to projects that were ready to advance to construction and resulted in the greatest water quality improvements and reduction in risk to publish health.
New York State Sen. James Seward said quality water is a "crucial component" of local economic development efforts.
"The municipalities I represent are already stretched thin, and major water system upgrades just aren't in the budget for most," Sen. Seward said in a press release Monday. "By utilizing state funds, these vital infrastructure improvement projects will move forward without overburdening taxpayers."
As part of the 2016-17 state budget that was passed earlier this year, the legislature increased the governor's proposed water infrastructure improvement funding by $100 million for a total of $400 million over three years.
