SWAP Campaign

Dear NYRWA Members:

As we start the new legislative year, we are reaching out to you once again on our continued efforts to help pass the Safe Water Infrastructure Action Program (SWAP). Last year, we were successful in gaining many Senate and Assembly supporters to sponsor the bill, but time ran out.

Senator James Tedisco and Assemblyman Phil Steck are once again leading the charge with Bill S554/A424. The Bill Summary remains the same as last year, just the Bill numbers have changed.

Although New York has made available capital funding for water infrastructurein the past budget that addresses capital projects, the replacement and upgrading of critical infrastructure, we all know this does not address the underlying issue of increasing maintenance requirements and operating expenses.

There have been calls for more permanent source of funding for our infrastructure, one that addresses and supports O & M activities. The Safe Water Infrastructure Action Program (SWAP) is designed to provide municipalities with water, sewer, and storm water infrastructure an annual supplemental funding stream to support operation and maintenance activities. Just like the successful Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), municipalities would know what their annual SWAP allotment would be. This would afford your municipality the opportunity to perform maintenance and/or replacement activities, which can be performed by your staff.  These would be smaller projects such as equipment replacement, manhole rehabilitation or water line replacement.

We ask you to take a look at the list of Senate and Assembly members that are currently supporting this Bill and take action today by joining us in a letter campaign to your NYS Legislators in support of S554/A424.  We have included two sample letters for your convenience and instructions to help navigate to your State Senator and State Assembly Representative website for correct contact information for this campaign on our website at http://nyruralwater.org/downloads/downloads-other-materials  If you see that your Representatives are already supporting, a quick note from you, their constituent, will go a long way to say thank you for supporting your interests.  If they are not already supporting, a letter from your Mayor or Supervisor can be sent to ask for their support.  Please take time out of your busy schedules to help get this Bill passed during the 2019 session. It takes all of our voices working together to get the job done.

If you need any assistance or wish to discuss this further, please reach out to the New York Rural Water Association. Other organizations that are also supporting this include NY Section AWWA, NYWEA, the Association of Towns and NY Conference of Mayors. Let’s do our part.

Thank you,
J. Andrew Herman, CEO