Onondaga gets $1.7 million grant for new water district

Homes along Bussey Road and Norton Road in the Town of Onondaga are moving closer to public water, after state officials awarded $1.7 million to help build the Bussey and Norton Roads Water District. The project calls for about 15,000 lineal feet of 8-inch ductile iron cement-lined water main, plus new water services, hydrants, valves and related equipment, a long-awaited upgrade for residents who have been working toward a district since at least 2023.

For the households that would be served, the payoff is practical: reliable public water instead of relying on private service arrangements, stronger fire protection through new hydrants, and a more stable base for future development along the corridor. The district was already in motion before the grant announcement, with town records showing a petition dated Aug. 7, 2023 and a special town board meeting on March 11, 2025. Town bid notices later put the work out as Contract No. 1, with sealed bids due May 8 at 2 p.m.

The state money comes from a broader $113 million package announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul on May 21 to help communities afford water and sewer projects without shifting the full cost onto local ratepayers. State officials said the Water Infrastructure Improvement Grants program has saved more than $7.2 billion for ratepayers statewide since 2015. In the Town of Onondaga, that matters because the district’s maximum estimated cost was set at $2,457,535, so the grant covers a little more than two-thirds of the projected expense.

State Sen. Rachel May said the investment matters because aging infrastructure in Central New York needs major upgrades and because the funding should improve reliability and safety for years to come. The town’s legal notice for the district says the bonds authorized to pay for the work would be repaid over a probable usefulness period of 40 years, underscoring how long these water lines are expected to serve the area.

The Onondaga County Water Authority says residents can petition their town to study and develop a water district, and if the project is viable, the town builds it with OCWA’s input before OCWA operates and maintains the system. OCWA lists the Town of Onondaga’s Bussey Road & North Road Water Supply District in evaluation and design, while the Onondaga County Metropolitan Water Board says stable water systems are central to economic growth, public health and development. For Bussey and Norton road residents, the grant turns a long local campaign into a project that is finally closer to pipes in the ground.