ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a plan to spend $2 billion to address water contamination and the state's aging, leaky pipes.
While that sounds like a lot of money, it's only a fraction of the $80 billion the state's own experts say will be needed in coming years.
The state has some of the oldest drinking water and sewer systems in the nation, and contaminants from decades of industrial activity pose another problem.
The money proposed by the Democratic Cuomo would assist local communities with replacing crumbling water mains, modernizing sewer systems and removing lead pipes. It would also fund efforts to clean up toxic contaminants like the industrial chemical PFOA that tainted the tap water of the upstate village of Hoosick Falls.