New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that the agency will update the system used to score applications for clean water infrastructure loans. The changes will provide communities with more incentives for employing land use planning and asset management planning. NYS uses the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) to financially support infrastructure, and the program relies on a point system to prioritize municipal projects, using a range of public health and water quality factors.
Going forward, DEC will develop new regulations to ensure that the scoring system adds incentives to:
- Support smart growth and wise land use planning, ensuring that a proposed project maximizes existing infrastructure and is consistent with local land use plans.
- Implement asset management planning that encourages ongoing maintenance.
- Utilize the most energy efficient technologies possible.
Through the new system, municipalities that have been diligent with capital improvement programs and sustainable water quality management practices will have a greater opportunity to be recognized financially.
New York received a record $432 million to invest in wastewater infrastructure through the federal stimulus program (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). This represents a 300 percent increase in federal aid for wastewater projects over recent years. Since 1990, the Environmental Facilities Corp. has provided - through the SRF - more than $11 billion in low cost financial assistance to municipalities to support more than 1,800 water supply and water pollution control projects.
Water quality is a major regional strength. Upstate NY is home to some of the top engineering firms in the world in the field of water quality. More than 25% of all the world’s fresh water can be accessed in Central Upstate NY.
