Dozens of wastewater projects around the state, including those in Massena and Ogdensburg, are now eligible for interest-free loans to aid in their completion.

New York State is making it easier for municipalities with fewer than 300,000 people to obtain interest-free financing for up to 30 years to improve wastewater collection and treatment systems. The Environmental Facilities Corporation’s (EFC) Board of Directors approved the policy at its board meeting Tuesday.

Ogdensburg’s project, at $4,009,000, and Massena’s, at $3,200,000, are among those that have been placed on the list that EFC is maintaining.

For eligible communities with a population of 300,000 or less and that are below the state’s Median Household Income, hardship financing will now be available. The financing can be used by qualifying local governments for projects with total costs up to $25 million, with the first $18 million in EFC financing at a zero-interest rate, and repayment of up to 30 years. For communities of this size in New York State, a typical Clean Water project usually costs far less than $25 million. Statewide, there are a total of 994 cities, towns and villages that would qualify under the new policy, according to an EFC press release.

Jon Sorenson at Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) says that "none of these projects will necessarily go forward this year…depends on what these towns want to do.

“A complete application is due by March 2 if the community wants to receive a loan during the federal fiscal year which ends on Sept. 30th. After that, the process is repeated for the next fiscal year," Sorenson said.

Interest-free loans will mean “reduced project costs and significant savings for taxpayers,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

“With more communities eligible for interest-free financing, we will kick-start projects that had been held up,” said EFC President and CEO Matthew Driscoll. “Interest-free loans can be a great incentive for municipalities to move forward on projects that will not only protect the environment but also could spur new opportunities for economic development. With a hardship designation, a community is also eligible to extend this interest-free financing into a long-term loan of up to 30 years, resulting in even-more savings for ratepayers.”

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner and EFC Board Chair Joe Martens said, “These new rules will encourage more communities to seek out financing from EFC and proceed with infrastructure projects that protect the environment and public health, create jobs and help foster new economic development opportunities across New York State.”

“The new hardship policy from the Environmental Facilities Corporation is welcome news for municipalities with fewer than 300,000 residents,” Adirondack Council Executive Director William Janeway said. “In the Adirondack Park, our communities have an average of only 1,000 year-round residents, but our drinking water and waste-water treatment infrastructure must support 10 million annual visitors. Park communities need zero-interest, long-term loans like these. They also need the state to consider loan-forgiveness for Adirondack communities whose taxpayers cannot afford to repay loans at all.”

The deadline to apply for one of these loans is March 2.