(WBNG Binghamton) U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is calling upon House and Senate Leaders to renew a bill that would fund infrastructure programs to update New York's water and sewer systems.
New York's Water and Sewer Systems are among the oldest in the country and Schumer is pushing for federal funding to fix them up.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates around 86 projects costing $516 million dollars would be needed in the Southern Tier to update its water and sewer systems.
Schumer says local governments and the state could not fund the projects but the federal government could.
"If this Bill isn't passed there are two choices, we're going to have no expansion of water and sewer which prevents business and homes from being built in the Southern Tier," said Schumer (D-New York), "We might have an inability to deliver water and sewer to the localities or they'd have to do it on their own and raise the tax rate and the taxes are too high already so there are no good choices at the local level if this bill doesn't pass," he continued.
The EPA estimates New York would need $7.2 billion dollars to make repairs to its water and sewer systems.
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