The village of Sylvan Beach has completed a $51 million modernization of the East Oneida Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant, replacing aging equipment at a facility that serves about 8,000 residents in five communities. New York officials say the upgrade is intended to improve treatment reliability and protect Fish Creek and Oneida Lake.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the project's completion Wednesday. The plant dates to the 1970s, and the state said its overhaul should also benefit recreation and tourism around Oneida Lake, including visitors to Verona Beach State Park. Sylvan Beach is in Oneida County.
Grants and low-cost loans
The state Environmental Facilities Corporation provided $27 million in grants through its Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure program and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The Department of Environmental Conservation added an $833,330 Water Quality Improvement Project grant. More than $23 million in low-cost revolving-fund financing covered the remaining costs, according to the governor's office.
Together, the grants total nearly $28 million, while the low-cost financing accounts for more than $23 million. The Environmental Facilities Corporation projects that its financing package will save the village more than $75 million in debt service compared with traditional borrowing. That figure is a projection, not money already saved, and the state release did not provide the loan terms or calculation behind it.
Sylvan Beach Mayor Richard Sullivan said the project was finished on time and within budget. State officials did not provide a detailed construction schedule or an independent post-completion water-quality measurement in their announcement.
Oneida Lake impact
Officials say modernizing the treatment process should reduce risks to nearby waterways and support the lake's recreation economy. Oneida Lake is among New York's largest natural lakes and draws visitors to communities beyond the plant's direct service area.
The project is part of a broader state push to finance water and sewer systems through grants and revolving-fund loans. Municipalities looking for assistance can seek help from the Environmental Facilities Corporation's community assistance teams, the governor's office said. The agency is also accepting applications for a separate $45 million Green Resiliency Grants program; those funds are not part of the Sylvan Beach project's $51 million cost.
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