Viewpoint
Public Investments in Clean Water Improves Quality of Life, Public Health, Good-Paying Jobs
By JULIE TIGHE
New York’s water infrastructure is under strain. Across the state, aging pipes, leaky sewers, failing treatment plants, and lead service lines threaten drinking water quality for millions of New Yorkers. These systems, many of them decades old, were not built for today’s demands—and they are increasingly vulnerable to breakdowns, contamination and costly emergencies.
Local governments are being forced to shoulder the burden. Municipalities and water authorities face steep maintenance and upgrade costs, especially as federal support and environmental protections are rolled back. Too often, the price of keeping water systems running falls directly on local ratepayers and families who can least afford it.
Clean water is a basic public right. No one should have to worry about whether their tap water is safe to drink, a broken main will shut down Main Street or a failing sewer system will contaminate local waterways.
Yet families, especially in low-income communities and communities of color, continue to face preventable health risks from contaminated water and failing systems. Climate change is only making the problem worse: extreme rainfall, storm surges and coastal erosion are increasing the urgency of resilient, modern water infrastructure that protects public health and public safety.
That’s why Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed five-year, $3.75-billion investment in clean water infrastructure announced in her State of the State is an important step forward. Sustained investments like this are essential to protecting public health, strengthening local communities, and ensuring the systems New Yorkers rely on remain safe and affordable.
The governor’s proposal represents a 50% increase in clean water funding, an additional $250 million annually over the next five years. It is critical that the bulk of these new resources flow through the Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA), which has proven to be one of the most effective ways to get funding to the communities that need it most and to address long-standing infrastructure needs efficiently.
When the CWIA was signed into law in 2017, it was hailed as a landmark commitment to New York’s clean water future, supported by a coalition of business groups, organized labor and environmental advocates. We all recognize that investing in clean water is good for public health, good for the environment and good for New York’s economy. The state must continue building on that progress.
Clean water investments reduce exposure to harmful contaminants like lead, PFAS, and 1,4-dioxane, while safeguarding the waterways and groundwater supplies that millions of New Yorkers depend on. They also create thousands of good-paying, family-sustaining union jobs across the state, including in the Hudson Valley. These are jobs that cannot be outsourced and that strengthen local economies.
Aside from the clear public health and economic benefits, affordability is an important aspect of this work. Modernizing water systems is expensive, and without strong state support, costs often fall on local ratepayers. Increased grant funding and low-cost financing will help communities protect public health without forcing families to foot the bill.
New York’s budget should treat clean water as the public right that it is. Every project, whether it’s replacing lead service lines, upgrading aging water mains, improving stormwater management or modernizing treatment facilities, means safer water, stronger communities and good jobs.
That is why we urge the State Senate and Assembly to include the full five-year $3.75-billion commitment in their one-house budgets and ensure that $750 million per year is allocated through the CWIA. Doing so will allow communities across New York to keep critical projects moving, plan for long-term upgrades, and protect residents for generations to come.
About the author: Julie Tighe is president of the New York League for Conservation Voters and the New York League for Conservation Voters Education Fund, overseeing the organizations’ policy, political, development, programmatic and communications teams. She was a leading voice in the campaign that led to the overwhelming passage of the $4.2-billion Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Bond Act.
Published: March 17, 2026.