A 54-inch line, 56 million gallons a day.
By June Mercer | November 7, 2026
This is a follow-up to earlier reporting on Newburgh's long-term sewer infrastructure work. The City of Newburgh has now been awarded $10 million in state funding to replace the South Interceptor Sewer. Construction has not started. No local project schedule has been released.
The City of Newburgh has been awarded $10 million from New York State to replace the South Interceptor Sewer, a trunk line that carries combined sewage and stormwater toward the city's Water Pollution Control Plant. The Times Union Hudson Valley reported the award as part of a broader Hudson Valley water-quality funding round. This article is an update on that report, adding context from state documents reviewed independently.
The funding comes from the state's Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant program. According to the official WQIP Round 22 award list published by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the City of Newburgh will construct a new 54-inch diameter interceptor to replace the existing South Interceptor Sewer. The new interceptor will maximize wet weather flow to the Water Pollution Control Plant and Combined Sewer Control Facility and reduce combined sewer overflows to the Hudson River during storm events.
The Times Union reported the existing sewer as a 36-inch pipe. That specific dimension did not appear in the WQIP award list or in state environmental review documents reviewed for this update. Those documents describe the existing line by its flow capacity, not its diameter. The 36-inch figure is attributed to the Times Union and could not be independently confirmed from state records reviewed here.
What the Project Does
State environmental review documents filed in March 2026 show the project will increase the South Interceptor's full flow conveyance capacity from 20.9 million gallons per day to 56 million gallons per day, to enable the city to meet future flow requirements. The existing South Interceptor sewer will be abandoned in place rather than removed. The new sewer's route will require permanent sheeting to protect an embankment adjacent to a CSX railroad track and the Quassaick Creek.
The core problem this project addresses is the combined sewer. Newburgh's older sewer network mixes sewage and stormwater in the same pipes. When heavy rain hits faster than the system can carry it, automatic relief valves open and discharge to the Hudson. That is a combined sewer overflow. The South Interceptor is a main conduit in that system. A larger pipe means more flow reaches the treatment plant instead of the river.
Prior Infrastructure Context
This award follows a completed project in the same vein. Governor Kathy Hochul announced the completion of the City of Newburgh's North Interceptor Sewer Improvement Project, funded by state and federal investments including $28 million in grants and $3 million in interest-free financing, totaling more than $31 million. It was the first clean water infrastructure construction project in New York State completed with funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The South Interceptor replacement advances the next phase of Newburgh's Long Term Control Plan, the city's multi-year clean water initiative. The city has also received a separate $10 million WQIP award for the Liberty Street Sewer Separation Project. That is a different project, covering a different section of the system. The South Interceptor grant is a distinct award.
City of Newburgh, Not the Town
This grant goes to the City of Newburgh. The City of Newburgh and the Town of Newburgh are separate municipalities. The city is a small urban core on the Hudson's west bank. The Town of Newburgh is a larger surrounding jurisdiction with its own elected officials and separate infrastructure. The city's Water Pollution Control Plant, its combined sewers, and the South Interceptor all lie within city limits. Town residents are not served by this infrastructure. Any question about this project should go to the City, not the Town.
Where This Fits in the Regional Round
Governor Hochul's $30.4 million investment will directly help communities across the Hudson Valley upgrade essential infrastructure, safeguard drinking water, and enhance resiliency against flooding, according to DEC Region 3 Director Kelly Turturro. More than $29.1 million supports 15 projects through WQIP. More than $1.3 million funds 16 additional projects through the Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Planning Grant program.
Other awards in the round include $6.9 million for Rockland County to upgrade 2,200 feet of sanitary sewers on Twin Avenue in Spring Valley, a project designed to reduce the potential for sanitary sewer overflows to the Hudson River. Statewide, Governor Hochul announced over $246 million awarded to 139 projects through the WQIP program on October 30, 2026.
WQIP is primarily supported by the state's 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, the Environmental Protection Fund, and Clean Water Infrastructure funding.
What Is and Is Not Confirmed
The $10 million award is confirmed in the WQIP Round 22 award list. The state contract process still has to run. WQIP is a reimbursement grant. The city incurs costs and draws down funds against an executed contract. That contract requires DEC approval and, depending on the amount, review by the attorney general and state comptroller. No reimbursements flow until the contract is in place.
No total project cost has been confirmed publicly. No construction start date, bid schedule, or completion target appeared in any state document reviewed for this update. The DEC's March 2026 environmental review concluded the project would not cause a significant adverse environmental impact. That determination clears an environmental prerequisite. It does not establish a timeline.
What Residents Should Watch For
A few steps signal that this is moving from award to action:
A city announcement placing the South Interceptor project on the capital project calendar or presenting it to the city council with a budget and schedule. The city's listed DPW contact for this project is Jason Morris, 83 Broadway, Newburgh, (845) 569-7448.
State contract execution, which must happen before any reimbursement draws are possible.
A request for proposals or design contract, covering engineering services ahead of construction bidding.
A public construction bid notice, which will appear in local legal notices and on the city's website when the project is ready for contractors.
None of those steps have been announced publicly. The grant is real. The project is authorized. Everything else is still ahead.
Sources
Times Union Hudson Valley (lead source, article not publicly accessible via crawler): https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/news/article/state-funding-water-quality-improvement-projects-22514225.php
NYSDEC, 2026 Round 22 WQIP Award List (official PDF, City of Newburgh entry, page 15): https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/WQIP2026AwardsList.pdf
NYSDEC Environmental Notice Bulletin, SEQR Negative Declaration, City of Newburgh South Interceptor Sewer Improvements Project (March 4, 2026): https://dec.ny.gov/news/environmental-notice-bulletin/2026-03-04/seqr/city-of-newburgh-south-interceptor-sewer-improvements-project
City of Newburgh Official Newsflash, Liberty Street Sewer Separation Project WQIP award (separate project): https://www.cityofnewburgh-ny.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/1536
Governor Hochul Press Release, Completion of North Interceptor Sewer Improvement Project: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-completion-more-31-million-sewer-project-city-newburgh
EIN Presswire / DEC Region 3, "$30.4 Million in Grants Awarded to Local Water Quality Protection Projects": https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/954600436/icymi-dec-region-3-highlights-more-than-30-4-million-in-grants-awarded-to-local-water-quality-protection-projects
NYSDEC WQIP Program Page (confirms October 30, 2026 statewide announcement): https://dec.ny.gov/get-involved/grant-applications/wqip-program
