Governor Cuomo Announces $2.7 Million in Funds For Flood Resiliency Projects in Niagara County

Press Release

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $2.7 million to implement projects proposed in the Niagara County NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan that address persistent damage from severe flooding. In the summer of 2013, communities throughout the county suffered significant damage from flooding and this funding supports their ongoing efforts to become more resilient against future flooding and extreme weather.

"More and more, extreme weather and severe storms are becoming the new normal and we must do all we can to help communities throughout New York become more resilient and better prepared in this new reality," Governor Cuomo said. "These projects will make critical upgrades that reduce potential vulnerabilities in Niagara County and ensure residents are protected from future flooding."

The NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program is a bottom-up, planning process designed to empower communities that suffered significant damage from Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The program was established in April 2013 by the Governor and is funded almost entirely by over $600 million of federal funds through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program. Following the summer storms of 2013, New York State contributed an addition $15 million to the program, including $3 million specifically for efforts in Niagara County.

Acting Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said, "The Department of State is pleased to support the Governor's resiliency planning efforts to prepare Niagara County for future disasters and advance projects that are critical to the well-being of these communities."

The following projects, which were developed by the Niagara County NY Rising Community Reconstruction Planning Committee will address critical vulnerabilities to flood damage in the area:

$1,500,000 for Sewer Separation on High Street in the City of Lockport. The severe flooding in June of 2013 caused significant damage to the sewer system in the City of Lockport, impacting over 600 residents and much of the city's infrastructure. Installing a new stormwater main trunk line on High Street will divert stormwater from the current combined system and reduce the risk of sewer backups during heavy weather events.

$325,000 for Emergency Power Generation for Pump Stations in the Town of Lockport. When more than five inches of rain fell in the Town of Lockport in June of 2013, power was lost to key pump stations in Lockport's sanitary sewer system, causing the sewer system to shut down and resulting in basement backup flooding of entire residential subdivisions. This project will install permanent stand-by emergency power generation at key pump stations throughout the Lockport system to mitigate future flood damage and prevent discharges of untreated wastewater into dwellings and businesses.

$350,000 for Emergency Power for the Wastewater Treatment Plant in the City of Niagara Falls. The Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) has no permanently installed backup power source to ensure operation of the lift station during a power outage. This project will expand the emergency power distribution system within the Niagara Falls WWTP and replace an undersized diesel standby generator with modern, up-sized equipment capable of meeting the full WWTP power needs under emergency conditions.

$325,000 for Emergency Power Generation at the City of Niagara Falls Sewer Collection System. With no permanent backup power sources, the Niagara Falls sewer collection system is susceptible to wastewater backups that could cause raw wastewater to flood basements throughout the city in the event of widespread power outages. This project will install permanent power generation at critical lift stations in the Niagara Falls sewer collection system in order to protect residents from basement flooding and exposure to raw wastewater.

$200,000 for Sewer Lift Stations Standby Generators in the Town of Wheatfield. The residents of the Town of Wheatfield are at risk of flooding due to sewer system backup in the event of a power outage caused by a severe weather event. By installing emergency standby generators at sewer lift stations throughout the town, this project will mitigate damaging flooding of residential dwellings, reduce maintenance costs to clean up back flows, and minimize risk to public health that may result from exposure to wastewater.

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