'Monumental' Sewer Project To Address Long Neglected Crisis

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Mount Vernon elected officials have long decried the woeful inadequacies of its aging sewer system, but the city lacked the money to make the big changes needed to protect its citizens and nearby waterways, including the Hutchinson River and the Long Island Sound.

Now, help is on the way.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced a historic $150 million investment and a precedent-setting three-way partnership with Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard and Westchester County Executive George Latimer to immediately advance work to address longstanding water infrastructure and related public health challenges that have plagued the city of Mount Vernon for decades.

At a Good Friday event at Mount Vernon City Hall, the governor also announced the immediate launch of the $7 million 'Third Street Sewer Project.' The project, once complete, will ensure reliable wastewater service for 500 nearby households currently served by temporary pumps and a makeshift system staged in the street to ensure adequate wastewater collection.

"In too many communities of color like Mount Vernon, critical water infrastructure has been left to fall into disrepair, but today we are setting an example for the nation by advancing environmental justice, improving quality of life for residents, and addressing decades of disinvestment," Hochul told those gathered. "When I met with Mayor Patterson-Howard and heard about the seriousness of this crisis in her city, I immediately directed my administration to coordinate with the city and the county and right this systemic wrong. I am so proud of our collective and collaborative efforts to deliver this transformative environmental justice victory."

SEE ALSO:

• City Gets $3M To Kickstart Desperately Needed Sewer Work
• 'Third World Conditions' Found by Environmentalist On Sewer Tour
• US Sues City Whose Raw Sewage Flows Freely
• More Pollution, Another Fine For Mount Vernon
• Feds Sue Mount Vernon To Force Sewer Cleanup

The innovative state-county-city partnership was launched with a memorandum of understanding formalizing a three-way partnership between the city of Mount Vernon, Westchester County and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

The agreement allows for the use of $7 million in Clean Water Infrastructure Act funds to immediately launch engineering, design, and construction of the Third Street Sewer Project. Work on projects across the city will take place in phases over five to seven years after a comprehensive assessment of the city's current infrastructure.

"I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul for this historic investment into the City of Mount Vernon," Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said. "Rebuilding our infrastructure is critical to the economic, social and physical health of the community. Thank you to the Mount Vernon, Westchester and NYS teams that have worked tirelessly and collaboratively for the past few months to make this happen. This is what government working together for the people looks like and we're excited to be moving forward together on this monumental sewer project."

The State's Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) will provide $8 million to fund emergency repairs and jump start long-term planning for future projects, including lead pipe replacement.

The funding includes a $5 million interest-free emergency loan and a $1 million grant to survey lead service lines in this community and to develop a replacement plan. EFC will also dedicate $2 million for engineering consultant services to accelerate work in this community. Additionally, Mount Vernon, DEC and EFC have committed to undertake an asset management program that will inventory, assess and track the city's clean water infrastructure and help create a plan to fund and maintain Mount Vernon's water quality infrastructure over the long-term.

"I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her leadership in addressing this longstanding challenge that has plagued the City of Mount Vernon for decades," Westchester County Executive George Latimer said. "The significant investment in Mount Vernon's aging sewage and wastewater infrastructure is absolutely necessary, as thousands of homeowners are directly suffering from sewage backup problems and related health issues, and sewage flooding is inevitably making its way into the nearby Hutchinson and Bronx rivers. Mount Vernon's pipes are old, corroded and overburdened, and I am eager to begin this three-way partnership between the State, the County and the City to fix it."

The Governor's Office of Storm Recovery will supplement the public infrastructure improvements with a $3 million pilot program to mitigate environmental hazards and make resiliency upgrades to private property. Participating homes will be eligible for rehabilitation of damaged pipes, replacement of lead service lines, and other needed environmental remediation.

By entering into the memorandum of understanding with New York State and the County, the City of Mount Vernon is taking a critical step to resolving longstanding violations of the Clean Water Act under a Federal Consent Decree.

"For too long Mount Vernon has suffered from underinvestment, leading to aging pipes, public health risks, and the threat of toxic sewage backups in homes every time it rains," Sen. Chuck Schumer said. "I was proud to fight for Mount Vernon residents in Washington to right this wrong, and proud we delivered millions in a down payment to push this project forward. Today's historic partnership, with Governor Hochul, tied to multiple federal pots of money, is why I fought so hard to deliver local aid in the American Rescue plan and historic investments in water infrastructure."

In December, Gov. Hochul announced a $10 million Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program grant award from the DEC to Mount Vernon that will improve water quality in the Hutchinson River by upgrading one portion of the city's municipal wastewater outfalls to prevent the discharge of raw sewage. This grant advances work required by the Federal Consent Decree. The DEC also awarded a $75,000 Non-Point Planning Grant to support the mapping of Mount Vernon's municipal separate storm sewer systems to prevent polluted runoff from affecting local communities and the environment. In addition, the EFC provided two Engineering Planning Grants totaling $200,000 in 2021. Additional State investments to help address Mount Vernon's wastewater infrastructure challenges include a $1.6 million WQIP grant awarded in 2016.