Amsterdam NY; $10 Million State Grant for Wastewater Treatment

Ten million dollars seems to be the magic number, several communities are getting $10 million grants for various projects. In Amsterdam, the aging wastewater treatment plant which dates back decades, will receive upgrades with the money.

In nearby Schenectady, another $10 million dollar grant will allow the city to enlarge its collection system pumping capacity and reduce inflow to the river system, with the project designed to reduce sanitary sewer overflows during periods of high rainfall.

Erie canal and Mohawk RiverPhoto byPublic Use

Both projects are aimed at protecting the Mohawk river, which flows into the Hudson in Cohoes. The Mohawk was once a significant highway for barge traffic, now the usage is mostly pleasure boats and fisherman. The Mohawk, which is relatively clean today, was once little better than an open sewer until waste treatment plants were built.

Recently, Herkimer NY also received a similar $10 million which was originally slated to go to Amsterdam for downtown revitalization.

Amsterdam downtownPhoto byWikimedia

Amsterdam's downtown is mostly non-existant since the urban renewal of the 1970's gutted the downtown of buildings and put a now mostly empty mall in the middle of main street, forcing traffic to flow around it. The original tenants of the mall, many of whom were once popular downtown stores, have long gone from the area.