Overview
Environmentally Innovative projects include those that demonstrate new and/or innovative approaches to delivering services or managing water resources in a more sustainable way.
Funding
The maximum percentage grant is up to 75% of eligible project costs for a water efficiency project in a municipality that meets the MHI criteria, or that serves, protects, or benefits an environmental justice area. All other water efficiency projects are eligible to receive up to a maximum of 50% of total eligible project costs.
Eligible Applicants
Municipalities
Eligible Activities
Adaptation projects that prepare for long term effects of climate change and/or extreme weather. These projects include the relocation of equipment or treatment facilities located in areas with a documented history of flooding.
Upgrades or Retrofits to a POTW that remove phosphorous for beneficial use, such as biofuel production with algae.
Implementation of asset management plans that meet DEC’s guidelines. These capital projects must align with the objectives of the asset management plan to effectively manage infrastructure investments. Grants are limited to one grant per asset management plan.
Ineligible Activities/Costs
Ineligible activities and costs include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Facultative lagoons, even if integral to an innovative treatment processes.
- Surface discharging decentralized wastewater systems where there are cost effective soil-based alternatives.
- Higher sea walls to protect POTW from sea level rise.
- Air scrubbers to prevent nonpoint source deposition.
Reflective roofs at POTW to combat heat island effect.
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