Washington, DC - Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today announced that the Village of Ellenville has been awarded a total of $7,185,000 in federal economic recovery funds to upgrade its outdated and energy inefficient Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP).  The congressman has long advocated on behalf of the village to receive both state and federal funds for the WWTP.  The village will receive a $5,244,000 loan and a $1,941,000 grant as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which Hinchey actively supported and voted for earlier this year and President Obama subsequently signed into law.

"These federal economic recovery funds will create jobs and relieve local taxpayers of the significant financial burden associated with upgrading Ellenville's Waste Water Treatment Plant," Hinchey said. "Upgrading the village's plant in an environmentally friendly way will save money in future operational costs, while also enabling the plant to process a significantly greater amount of wastewater.  I am very pleased that the economic recovery funding we approved in Washington is starting to make its way up to New York where it is creating jobs, saving local taxpayer money, and improving the overall quality of life for residents."

Hinchey reached out earlier this year to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation to express his strong support for funding to be allocated for Ellenville's WWTP upgrades.  The Village of Ellenville is currently served by a WWTP that was constructed in 1965. This facility has outlived its useful life and is operating solely because of the due diligence of the operators in preventing any catastrophic failure. Additionally, the age of the facility contributes to its high energy usage, which poses a further economic drain on the limited community resources.

Village of Ellenville Mayor Jeff Kaplan said, "The Village of Ellenville expresses their sincere thanks to Congressman Hinchey for his efforts in helping us obtain the funds needed to improve our wastewater disposal treatment process. We couldn't have done it without his support."

In order to better serve its residents and consume less energy, the Village developed plans for a "green" WWTP. As envisioned, the facility may have some or all of the following features: waste heat recovery, use of photovoltaic cells to power site lighting, and highly efficient pumps and motors to reduce overall energy consumption. While the current WWTP is permitted to process 800,000 gallons per day, the new facility will be able to process 1.1 million gallons on a daily basis.  The increased capacity will allow for future community development and strengthen the prospects of expanding economic activity within the village.  It will also ensure that the village is able to maintain compliance with all state discharge regulations.

The federal funds are being administered by USDA Rural Development’s Water and Environmental Program, which is providing loans and grants across the country to ensure that the necessary investments are made in water and wastewater infrastructure to deliver safe drinking water and protect the environment in rural areas.