St. Lawrence County communities located near the Black Lake, St. Lawrence River, Little River, Raquette River and Indian River will be eligible for state funding to replace aging septic systems.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo says a program to improve water quality through will aid in the replacement of aging septic systems in communities located near water bodies. The governor allocated $225,000 for grants in St. Lawrence County.

Through a collaboration between the State Departments of Environmental Conservation and Health, and the Environmental Facilities Corporation, the state will support the new program in 31 counties with $15 million during its first year.

"Protecting water quality is vital to the health and future growth of our communities," Gov. Cuomo said. "This program builds on this administration's efforts to upgrade and improve water infrastructure across the state and help protect New York's lakes, streams and other environmental resources."

The Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017, championed by Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature, established the State Septic System Replacement Fund and allocated $75 million to support the multi-year effort. The program provides resources to counties to support the replacement of aging septic systems and other wastewater infrastructure that can harm water quality by releasing pathogens or nutrient pollution such as nitrogen and phosphorus.

Through this program, the state will provide funds to counties to reimburse eligible property owners for a portion of the cost of replacing failing septic systems and installing more environmentally effective systems. Eligible property owners can be reimbursed up to 50 percent of eligible costs up to $10,000. Counties may also set graduated incentive reimbursement rates for septic system projects to maximize program participation and pollution reduction goals.

To guide the funding and maximize water quality improvements, DEC and DOH identified an initial suite of priority areas eligible to participate in the State Septic Replacement Program based on the presence of a sole-source aquifer used for drinking water, known water quality impairment linked to failing septic systems, and the ability for septic system upgrades to mitigate water quality impairments.

Funding for each county was based on population density, as well as the proximity of septic systems to drinking water sources. EFC will be providing detailed information on accessing this funding to the counties with identified priority areas, and future rounds of funding will occur annually for up to five years. DEC and DOH will re-evaluate priority waterbodies in the future which may make additional counties or areas eligible for grants, and additional funding will be available to support the replacement program.