$8M state grant awarded for water treatment plant

The Town of Warwick has been awarded an $8 million grant from New York State for the complete reconstruction of the Wickham Wastewater Treatment Plant. The funding was awarded through the State’s Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) program and announced on Monday, Dec. 29.

According to a press release about the award, it is the maximum grant amount available to a town under the program and is the largest single grant ever received in the history of the Town of Warwick.

“Infrastructure projects of this scale can overwhelm local residents if towns are forced to rely solely on ratepayer costs,” Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer stated. “This grant ensures that a critically needed sewer plant replacement can move forward without placing an unbearable financial burden on the residents and families who rely on this system.”

In addition to this grant, the town also secured interest-free financing for the remaining project costs. That financing alone is projected to save local ratepayers more than $4 million over the life of the project, further reducing long-term sewer costs for residents.

The plant was originally constructed more than 40 years ago, making piecemeal repairs no longer fiscally responsible. A complete rebuild is necessary to ensure reliable service, regulatory compliance, and long-term cost stability, the press release indicated. Without grant funding and interest-free financing, sewer bills for residents in the district would have tripled.

“This award was not guaranteed,” Dwyer continued, crediting the success of the application to the town’s staff, engineering partners at Delaware Engineering, and new grant writing firm, Millennium Strategies. “It took an extraordinary team effort and a strong, well-documented case showing why outside funding was essential.”

A comprehensive income survey was conducted to demonstrate the financial hardship that would result if grant funding and interest-free financing were not secured.

“Without this funding, residents would have been forced to absorb enormous costs for infrastructure they simply cannot afford on their own,” Dwyer said. “From day one, the Town Board and I made it clear that finding outside funding was not optional — it was essential.”

Since taking office in January of 2024, Dwyer has secured nearly $15 million in grant funding for critical infrastructure and community projects, including wastewater improvements, bridges, parks, senior services, law enforcement, local EMS, and land preservation.

“This is exactly how local government should work,” Dwyer added. “We pursue every available dollar so our residents don’t have to shoulder these costs alone, while still making the investments needed to protect public health and our community’s future.”