OGDENBSURG – Ogdensburg is $5 million closer to funding the $35 million wastewater treatment plant.

The grant comes from the New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement Act.

City Manager Sarah Purdy said the grant is boon for the project as it is the largest grant the city has sought for the project.

City council commended City Planner Andrea Smith for her work in obtaining the grant. Smith extended that gratitude to GHD consultant and Development Authority of the North Country engineers who assisted in the grant writing process.

The massive price tag for the WWTP includes a total overhaul of the plant, which has components that have long exceeded their lifespan according to GHD consultants. Equipment in the facility is 40 to 50 years old and is becoming costly to maintain and dangerous for staff and the city in general, according to consultants.

With this grant the local share is reduced local share would be reduced to about to about 30 million. The city has also secured a $20 million no-interest loan. The city is also hoping to secure more than $10 million in additional grants for the project.

“The project includes collection system improvements which are being designed in order to comply with the city's approved Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP). The City recently received a modified SPDES permit in which CSO compliance is a condition of the new permit,” a project description submitted to for the grant says. “Compliance will be achieved through the installation of a sewer force main and pump station for combined sewer overflow (CSO) conveyance to the WWTP for storage and treatment. The project also includes the installation of a new CSO storage system at the WWTP. The storage system will be utilized to store CSO during peak flow conditions and transfer to the WWTP during periods of low flow for treatment.”