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Village of Ossining is Awarded $10 Million for the Construction of a New Water Treatment Plant.
VILLAGE OF OSSINING, NY – On May 29, 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul announced details of the Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund, a $150 million funding initiative specifically for mixed-use housing and infrastructure projects throughout the Mid-Hudson Region. The fund will help communities meet growing infrastructure needs amid the ongoing region-wide population increase exacerbated by the pandemic. The Village was awarded $10 million through this program to help fund the construction of the new Indian Brook Water Treatment Plant.
The most critical infrastructure need for any community is the provision of clean, safe drinking water. In this regard, Ossining residents are fortunate: the Village of Ossining owns and operates the existing Indian Brook Water Treatment Plant, which is located in the Town of Ossining, in Westchester County, New York, directly adjacent to the southwest portion of the Village-owned Indian Brook Reservoir. This facility has long provided quality drinking water to both the inhabitants of the Village of Ossining and the unincorporated Town of Ossining.
For over 60 years, the Village and Town have worked together to ensure the delivery of a reliable source of safe, clean water for Ossining residents and businesses. In 2016, the Village and Town jointly initiated planning for the construction of a new water treatment plant as it was mutually understood that the existing plant was reaching the end of its useful life and could not continue to operate efficiently at the capacity required to accommodate future growth and evolving regulatory requirements. The highly involved planning process, which included a rigorous review and approval required by the State and County departments of Health, took six years to complete. During that time, water rates were adjusted to build a reserve in anticipation of constructing the new plant.
"When planning for the new water treatment plant began, no one could have imagined the series of events and challenges to come," said Ossining Mayor Rika Levin. "Learning from negative emergency water events in other municipalities across the country has informed our need for this upgrade here in Ossining. In addition, the accelerating consequences of climate change, the aftermath of a global pandemic, and a national housing crisis have raised awareness of the need for solid and reliable essential infrastructure. Simultaneously, the cost of infrastructure has risen significantly as well. With this understanding, we have maintained our commitment to the construction of the new Indian Brook Water Treatment Plant and to securing additional funding sources to finance this Project. This award is essential to our ability to continue providing safe, clean drinking water without burdening individuals, families, and businesses. This is a win-win for not just the Ossining but also the people of Westchester and the entire Mid-Hudson region. The Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund is an invaluable resource that will further enable small communities like Ossining to thrive."
"The Town and Village are unified in our commitment to provide clean, safe water for Ossining residents. We have worked together diligently over the past several years, planning for this critically important Project," Town Supervisor Liz Feldman stated. "This $10 million award will go a long way to making sure we can meet this commitment while keeping water rates affordable. Thank you to Governor Hochul and Empire State Development for creating this valuable program to fund essential infrastructure programs like the new Indian Brook Water Treatment Plant, and thank you to our state legislators for their unwavering advocacy on Ossining’s behalf.”
Following a competitive bidding process, this $97 million Project was awarded to ELQ Industries, Solar Electric, Carey and Walsh, and Mace Contracting in January 2024. Project delays due to COVID, new design requirements to meet changing raw/finished water quality standards, and construction cost increases, combined with rising interest rates, drove up the anticipated price of this Project significantly. Acutely aware of the resulting financial burden that would be placed on Ossining's water ratepayers, Village leadership was committed to sourcing additional funding resources. Every opportunity to apply for grants for this Project was pursued. Including the $10 million Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund grant awarded yesterday, the Village has received a total of $17,704,812 towards this Project to offset construction expenses. Prior awards have been a $5 million Water Infrastructure Improvement Grant awarded to the Village in 2023 and a $160,000 Green Infrastructure Improvement Grant awarded in 2019, which will fund a green roof on the new plant. Additionally, the Village has applied the entire share of their $2.54 million in American Rescue Plan monies (ARPA), awarded to the Village by the Federal government in response to the COVID pandemic, to the plant’s construction.
The grants awarded to the Village are highly competitive. The Village team expressed gratitude to their state representatives, who have advocated strongly for Ossining.
"I am so pleased that the state will be making substantial contributions toward the completion of the new Indian Brook Water Treatment Plant, with $10 million from the Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund in addition to $5 million from Water Infrastructure Improvement Act funds. I was proud to support Ossining's applications for this funding, as it will help offset potential ratepayer increases," said Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg. "Ossining Village officials work hard to maintain our water infrastructure and are taking proactive action to ensure that our community will have a facility that can meet increasingly complex needs. Clean water infrastructure is critically important not only to the greater Ossining community but also in the context of New York's housing goals. I am grateful to Governor Hochul and Empire State Development for prioritizing funding for communities like Ossining that are doing their part to add to our housing stock, which will help bring down the cost of housing in the area."
“Governor Hochul’s directing of $10 million to the Village of Ossining to build a new water treatment plant is great news: this municipality prides itself on its clean drinking water, and its efforts to maintain this distinction are noteworthy,” said New York State Senator Pete Harckham. “The funding, which I advocated for and passed as part of the FY2024-2025 State Budget, is illustrative of the state’s strong commitment toward supporting new housing in our communities and strengthening the infrastructure necessary to do so. Mayor Levin and Supervisor Feldman deserve our thanks for their leadership in advancing much-needed investments in infrastructure.”
Not only will the new Indian Brook Water Treatment Plant yield significant benefits for the Village and Town of Ossining in terms of the guaranteed provision of quality drinking water, but the Project's impact on affordable housing, economic development, placemaking, and local tourism will also extend significant benefits to Ossining and the broader region, making this investment a particularly valuable one.
The Village of Ossining has a fundamental obligation to provide drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and institutions in its service area that complies with all provisions of the Safe Water Drinking Act and other regulations created for the public's benefit and safety. The primary objective of the new water treatment plant is to construct and implement the most efficient treatment processes that will meet all applicable regulatory requirements for the foreseeable future. As Ossining has seen renewed commercial and residential development interest for several years, the potential housing units and businesses that have been approved, or could be approved as of right, as well have further underscored the need to invest in infrastructure that ensures this vital service can be safely and efficiently provided.
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