Cuomo announces $815 million for next phase of Sandy recovery

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced last month that $815 million in funding will be allocated for a series of “critical” Hurricane Sandy recovery and rebuilding infrastructure projects on Long Island — including a protection plan for the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant.

The projects include rehabilitating wastewater treatment plants, upgrading Long Island’s utility system, creating microgrids to meet energy needs, and strengthening vulnerable bridges for future severe weather.

“In the last year, New York State has delivered essential funding to homeowners and businesses impacted by Superstorm Sandy, allowing homes to be repaired and the doors of businesses to reopen,” Cuomo said in a statement. “This funding is the next big step in Long Island’s recovery.”

Cuomo said that the state is providing $815 million to Nassau and Suffolk counties in order to move forward with public works projects, rehabilitating and strengthening infrastructure that suffered costly and serious damage in communities across the island.

The bulk of the funding will go toward mitigating wastewater treatment plants that serve hundreds of thousands of households.

“These projects will rebuild a more resilient Long Island for years to come. I am pleased to provide this support, and we remain fully committed to helping the residents of Long Island reach a full recovery,” Cuomo said.

The state will provide $697 million for the rehabilitation and mitigation of wastewater treatment facilities in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Sandy severely damaged the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant — during the storm, engines for the plant’s main pumping system were flooded by 9 feet of water, and sewage began to back up and overflow into low-lying homes and even burst through the street in a neighborhood.

The plant shut down for more than 50 hours, and about 200 million gallons of raw sewage flowed into channels and waterways, according to the state. The flooding destroyed the plant’s electrical system and compromised many other critical systems.