Tonawanda, N.Y. — A $3 million water grant is going to upgrade the filtration system at the Town of Tonawanda Water Treatment Plant.

State Senator Sean Ryan and Assemblyman Bill Conrad made the announcement on Friday.

The tiles on the treatment plant's filter were installed in 1956, when the facility was built. They are now beginning to fail as they reach the end of their life expectancy. The grant will help replace the tiles in all 12 of he plant's filter beds with modern, improved tiles.

“When we turn on the taps in our kitchens and bathrooms, it is easy to take our clean drinking water for granted," said Senator Ryan. "We have that luxury because of the important work of our water treatment plants. This investment will allow the Tonawanda Water Treatment Plant to make necessary updates to outdated components before they become a problem, and will in turn help protect the health and safety of the people of Tonawanda.”

“Sound water quality is absolutely critical to the health and safety of our residents, so it's important that all levels of government offer support in the pursuit of our collective water quality goals," said Assemblyman Conrad. "These funds will assist municipalities, like the Town of Tonawanda, as they work to maintain and enhance the facilities that deliver clean drinking water to their communities, while relieving the fiscal burden on local taxpayers. I applaud the Town on its awarded grant, and I thank the Governor and Environmental Facilities Corporation for their attention to water infrastructure needs, here in our region and across New York state.”

The grant will cover 60% of the cost of the project, which is estimated at $5 million.

This upgrade is part of a $638 million investment into water infrastructure across the state. 

More than $36 million is being invested in Western New York, which is expected to create more than 2,300 jobs.