Senators Say Pending Legislation Includes Critical Fed Funding For Water Infrastructure Improvements & Syracuse University’s Semiconductor Research
Schumer, Gillibrand: Fed $$ Secured For Central NY Communities!
Today, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that they secured $3,973,000 in federal funding for critical Central NY projects in the fiscal year (FY) 2026 spending bill currently being voted on in the House of Representatives and expected to come to a vote in the Senate later this month. The senators personally secured funding for these projects as congressionally directed spending.
“I’m proud to have secured more than $2.7 million in federal funding to help our Central New York community. From supporting Syracuse University’s cutting-edge semiconductor research to improving our water infrastructure, the federal investment will flow to help communities improve quality of life all while creating good-paying jobs,” said Senator Schumer. “I will always fight to deliver funding to help lay the foundation for Central New York to thrive.”
“I’m proud to have secured these federal dollars that will drive real growth across Central New York by creating jobs and delivering the services New Yorkers rely on,” said Senator Gillibrand, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “From advancing the critical research at Syracuse University to removing dangerous lead pipes from local water systems, this funding will support projects that help communities across the region grow and thrive. I’ll keep working to bring home resources that strengthen our communities and make a real difference for working families.”
The federal funding comes from the FY 2026 spending bill that is being voted on in the House of Representatives later today and will be sent over to the Senate later this month and includes the Commerce, Justice, and Science spending bill, the Energy and Water Development spending bill, and the Interior spending bill.
A full list of funded projects is below:
$1,092,000 for City of Syracuse for Lead Service Replacements
The city will contract with a third party to complete 3,000 replacements over the next twelve months and this request will cover the cost of 800 of the replacements in this portion of the overall project.
$1,092,000 for Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA) for Lead Service Line Replacements
OCWA will use federal funds to replace customer-owned lead service lines and improve drinking water quality throughout its service area.
$1,039,000 for Syracuse University for Semiconductor Thermal Noise Testbed
The project will build a new semiconductor thermal noise testbed to explore the manufacturing and testing of extremely low thermal noise materials for applications in quantum sensing, fundamental science and semiconductor manufacturing.
$750,000 for Town of Throop for The Town of Throop Creation of Water District #3
The project will create a new water district in the Town of Throop, which currently contains only two water districts, leaving much of its rural population relying on poor quality, independently owned and operated wells for their drinking water.
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