Seven weeks after Governor Hochul proposed to keep funding levels flat for critical wastewater, stormwater and drinking water infrastructure programs in the state budget for FY2026, both the Senate and the Assembly released respective one-house budgets featuring significant increases for both the Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA) and the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).
The Senate and Assembly called for $500 million to be allocated to the EPF, a $100 million boost from the current level. The Assembly also proposed a $100 million increase for the CWIA, bringing that fund up to $600 million next fiscal year. The Senate proposed a $200 million increase, which would mean an investment of $700 million in the CWIA.
These programs provide essential funding for municipalities to repair or replace wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, transition away from fossil fuels, and mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change, among other projects. In its 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that clean water infrastructure in New York state requires approximately $90 billion of upgrades.
“We applaud leadership and membership in the Senate and Assembly for recognizing the vulnerability of our wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and the urgency to increase our investments to match the challenges we face in the Long Island Sound region and across the state,” said David Ansel, vice president of the Center for Water Protection at Save the Sound.
The New York state constitution requires that the state budget for the coming year be approved by April 1.
