Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $1,001,000 in federal funding for the City of Ogdensburg in St. Lawrence County. The funding was provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Grant Program and will be used for improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment system.
Ogdensburg’s wastewater treatment plant was originally constructed in 1965, and with the exception of minor equipment improvements, the treatment plant has not been improved since 1978. Much of the pumping equipment is beyond its design-service life. The funding will specifically be used to replace outdated, non-functional equipment and to improve the treatment processes so that it complies with regulations. The project will upgrade the liquid treatment and solids handling processes, renovate the pumping stations and collection system, and rehabilitate the aging, degraded pumping and controls components. This project will improve the treatment capability over a 30 year planning period, increasing reliability for the city’s residents.
“This federal investment is great news for public health in the City of Ogdensburg and St. Lawrence County,” said Senator Schumer. “These federal funds will allow the City of Ogdensburg to make critical improvements to their wastewater treatment system, ensuring that it is reliable and effective for years to come. I am proud to announce this federal investment and will continue fighting to ensure rural communities across Upstate New York have the resources they need to build, protect and maintain their infrastructure.”
“I’m very excited to announce this grant for Ogdensburg, which will use this funding for much-needed upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment plant,” said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “A reliable wastewater system is essential to the health and wellbeing of the residents of Ogdensburg. It is critical that the city can get the resources it needs for this project, and I will always work in the Senate to ensure that communities have the resources to upgrade their water and wastewater infrastructure.”
“Ogdensburg is extremely grateful to have been awarded funding through the USDA Rural Development Program. The award of this funding will ensure that the City is able to continue to provide reliable wastewater treatment services to all of our residents while enabling Ogdensburg to support continued growth throughout the North Country Region,” said Andrea L. Smith, Ogdensburg’s Director of Planning and Development.
The USDA Rural Development Program provided this funding through the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants Program, which provides loans and grants to ensure that the necessary investments are made in water and wastewater infrastructure to deliver safe drinking water and protect the environment in rural areas. More information can be found here.