Written by Michael Solage
I am disappointed in Governor Kathy Hochul's proposal to cut $250 million from the Clean Water Infrastructure Act, as concerns grow that drinking water for residents across Long Island will be contaminated. .
Since 2019, each state's budget has included $500 million to keep New York's water clean. In addition to prioritizing public health, this program will also help create thousands of jobs and even lower water bills for many New Yorkers. These funds will be used to repair water mains, replace lead pipes, and remediate new toxic chemicals known as PFAS. I believe, along with many of my colleagues in Congress, that he needs to include at least $600 million in this year's budget to continue meeting these severe public health needs.
The state has taken groundbreaking steps since 2017 to address the need for clean drinking water, but there is much work to do to ensure the needs of all New Yorkers are met. An estimated $80 billion must be allocated by 2037 to adequately address these issues with the state's drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Because the federal government will require states to replace all lead pipes and install more filtration technology to remove toxic substances. Chemicals from our water.
Toxic PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” have been found in water sources across the state and pose a clear threat to public safety. According to a study done in Minnesota, cleaning and removing PFAS from municipal water will cost anywhere from $2.7 million to $18 million. Failure to enact legislation banning the use of PFAS in multiple areas in New York will surely pay the price in the future.
While we continue to take samples from the City's water sources to test for toxic chemicals such as PFAS, we also continue to invest in expanding New York City's capacity to test for other emerging contaminants and to is vitally important to the well-being of Even now, laboratory testing under the Environmental Laboratory Approval Program is backlogged, and the delays are expected to worsen. It is clear that laboratories need more resources to speed up the testing process and perhaps test for even more new contaminants in the future.
It is also essential to expand and fund water assistance programs for low-income households. By leveraging federal funds during the pandemic, New York State was able to provide nearly $70 million in water bill assistance to low-income households. The program expired last summer, so funding is unlikely to be available in the near future. Countries must now implement unique programs to address the needs of impoverished, disenfranchised, and marginalized communities.
As a lifelong Long Island resident, I know that providing our residents with abundant, clean water is essential. Although Nassau and Suffolk counties have had success with the state's septic tank replacement program, there is still much work ahead of us. Living on a barrier island means we are on the front lines of the climate crisis and therefore leading the fight for clean water.
Estuaries like Long Island Sound are extraordinary environmental and economic assets for New York, with an estimated economic value of $17 billion to $37 billion. More than 23 million New Yorkers live within 80 miles of the Strait, and more than 191,000 watershed jobs depend on its preservation. If we're going to keep Long Island's water clean, we need to make sure we continue to fund the Clean Water Infrastructure Act.
Michael Solage, who represents the 22nd Congressional District, is the Assembly's deputy majority leader and chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus.
