The City of Syracuse’s longstanding infrastructure problems seem to be even more commonplace with water main breaks during the winter. Members of the Rebuild New York Now coalition joined Mayor Stephanie Miner today to share similar concerns about the impacts of bad infrastructure on water quality or contamination. She feels optimistic about Governor Cuomo’s pledge to spend a massive amount on infrastructure repairs. Now she hopes state lawmakers will include those plans in the State Budget.
“All of the dollars that they put towards clean water, sewage infrastructure will be spent wisely and will, in order to the benefit of public health and also economic development. So, I think it’s an important investment to be made and I welcome the fact that there are a lot more people talking about it than ever have been before.”
The Mayor has embraced specific funding to implement data and technology which diagnoses problems into the public water and sewer systems. She says the city will also be able to spend money more efficiently on repairs.
“More roads that we’d like to pave, potholes that we’d like to fill, complete construction of roads, water mains. We’d like to have high speed internet broadband. You name it, we have the need and we will put it to use.”
Rebuild N.Y. Now and the Association of General Contractor’s Walter Pacholczak describes instances of infrastructure problems just about everywhere.
“With its clean water, whether it’s sewage seeping into our rivers, whether it’s our septic tanks leeching into our ground water in Long Island and other places. This campaign and this coalition has travelled across the state.” 
The Director of the Nature Conservancy of Central and Western New York, Jim Howe explains the costs can become insurmountable if appropriate measures aren’t in place.
“Protecting clean water at its source ensures more affordable drinking water and is 10 times cheaper than treating water after it’s been compromised.”
Governor Cuomo is proposing the state invest $2 billion dollars with the Clean Water Infrastructure Act in the upcoming State Budget due on April 1st.
