It’s easy to take sewer and water systems for granted. After all, most of the infrastructure is buried underground. But what’s out of sight, is always on the mind of the Town of Thompson leadership.

Like many communities, the Town faces an aging water and sewer infrastructure. Instead of waiting for problems to arise, the Town has taken initiative to prepare our sewer and water systems for the future.

Part of this proactive approach is applying for grants and low-interest loans to offset the costs associated with maintaining and updating the infrastructure.

There are also costs on the horizon related to regional, State and Federal environmental mandates. These mandates require the Town to alter or replace existing systems to be in compliance with regulations designed to protect the environment.

What this all means is that your Town of Thompson leadership team has been very busy applying for grants! Many of these grant programs require lengthy proposals and are highly competitive: only rewarding select municipalities with grant funds.

The results have been worth the effort with a total of over $12.4 million in grants and low-interest loans secured in the last year alone.

Read on for a closer look at the grants and funding that Thompson has won in late 2021 and early 2022. Stay tuned…there are more on the way!

1) $10.9 Million in Grants and Low Interest Loans for Melody Lake and Harris Sewer Districts

Source of Funding: USDA Rural Utility Service Department

Thompson was awarded a major grant from the USDA along with low-interest loans that will go towards projects in the Harris and Melody Lake sewer districts. The funds will cover the following:

  • Melody Lake Water District: Replacing water mains, extending casing on a well, installing a new hydropneumatic tank, constructing a new building with a flow meter.
  • Harris Sewer District: Replacing three pump stations and adding another pump station. This pumping system is almost 50 years old.  The new improvements will be more efficient and cost much less to operate and maintain.

Read More About the USDA Grant and Loan Awards, Here

2) $416,800 in Water Quality Improvement Grants (WQIP) for Emerald Green Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements

Source of Funding: New York State Regional Economic Development Councils (NYSREDC) 2021 Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP)

Through the NYSREDC program, New York State awarded Thompson $416,800 in grants through its WQIP initiative. These funds will go directly towards improving the wastewater treatment facilities in the Emerald Green area. This will eliminate the discharge of chlorine into our environment with the use of ultraviolet lights for the purpose of disinfecting treated wastewater effluent.

3) $1 Million in Water Quality Improvement Grants (WQIP) for Kiamesha Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements

Source of Funding: New York State Regional Economic Development Councils (NYSREDC) 2021 Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP)

Through the NYSREDC program, New York State awarded Thompson $1 million in grants through its WQIP initiative. These funds will go directly towards improving the wastewater treatment facilities in the Consolidated Kiamesha Sewer District. This will include the use of ultraviolet lights for the purpose of disinfecting treated wastewater effluent.

Read More about the REDC WQIP Grant Award, Here

See the Full List of Grant Recipients Including Thompson, Here (Scroll to Page 14)

4) $50,000 in Grants for Emerald Green “Pump Station 6” Study Project

Source of Funding: New York State Regional Economic Development Councils (NYSREDC) Initiative – Engineering Planning Grants (EPG)

New York State also awarded Thompson with $50,000 through its Engineering Planning Grant (EPG) program which is part of the NYSREDC initiative. The $50,000 will go towards identifying sources of inflow and infiltration in the Emerald Green Pump Station 6 area, evaluate alternatives, and recommend improvements to the wastewater collection system.

Read More about the REDC EPG Grant Award, Here