The village of Canton, city of Ogdensburg and town of Potsdam have all received large grants from the New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement & Intermunicipal Grant Award Program.

In the village of Canton, the wastewater treatment plant has received a $3,375,000 grant to make improvements to the facility.

Canton village officials began exploring funding sources in June for the project that is projected to cost over $13 million.

At the village board’s June 21 monthly board meeting, the mayor and village trustees received an update on the project from Taylor Jennings, a senior engineer with the engineering firm of Barton and Loguidice.

“There’s liner patching and deterioration in the existing liners and there’s piping breakdowns,” said Jennings.

For the city of Ogdensburg, the $651,000 grant will be used for the East David Street infrastructure replacement project.

That project calls for the replacement of 1,700 feet of water and sewer lines along the street, officials say.

City council held a special meeting on Aug. 7 to discuss borrowing $5 million to replace the lines.

A report from engineers says the old pipes allow discharge of raw wastewater in the St. Lawrence and Oswegatchie rivers.

In recent years the city has accumulated a large amount following changes to a waterfront project and massive overhaul of the wastewater treatment facility.

The town of Potsdam will also benefit from the grant program, receiving $1,399,484 for the Route 56 sewer district.

The funds come at a time when the town has recently considered pulling the plug on the project, saying higher than expected costs will delay construction.

Officials in Potsdam approved the district in Feb. 2021 in hopes of sparking future economic development.

The district will allow the town to supply municipal water and sewer service to residences and businesses along Route 56 within the district boundaries.

LC Drives, an innovative electric motor manufacturing and development company, had also planned to build within the district on Route 56 but closed in Sept. 2021 citing a lack of resources following a withdrawal of funding from an outside investor.

The town will be working with several contractors to handle the environmental work that is required before construction can begin, things like wetlands delineation and archeological surveys.

The total cost of the sewer district project approved by the board at the Feb. 9. 2021 meeting is not to exceed $5,511,000.

The total cost of setting up the water district is not to exceed $4,802,000 according to the resolution passed by the board in 2021.

About $4.78 million in grants and loans from USDA Rural Development will help pay for the project.