EPA announced last week that it will award New York and New Jersey a total of $569 million to help water and wastewater systems in those states repair damage caused by last fall’s Hurricane Sandy and to prepare their infrastructure to withstand future extreme weather events.
Congress approved the funding earlier this year as part of a $50 billion relief package that included $600 million in funding for the New York and New Jersey State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs. The funding is subject to the federal budget sequester, however, reducing the final appropriation by just over five percent. Moreover, the Sandy relief bill specified that approximately 83 percent of the funding go to the states’ Clean Water SRFs, with the balance going into their drinking water funds.
Unlike requirements for traditional SRF grants, Congress directed the states to allocate the relief dollars to projects “to reduce flood damage risk and vulnerability or to enhance resiliency to rapid hydrologic change or a natural disaster.” According to EPA, New York and New Jersey will rank applications and give funding priority to projects “that will most ensure water quality or provide the most protection to drinking water systems.” EPA is also encouraging applicants to submit projects that incorporate “green infrastructure” approaches, such as developing water treatment plant backup power capacity that relies on renewable energy.
Of the funding announced last week, New York will receive $340 million, while New Jersey will get $229 million. EPA determined this division of funds based on the percentage of the population living in impacted counties FEMA designated for disaster assistance.