LaLota says $115 million water bill advances for Suffolk County projects

Congressman Nick LaLota said a water bill advanced from committee with $115 million authorized for Suffolk County water infrastructure, including $65.6 million targeted to stormwater management in Port Jefferson. The measure still has to clear Congress and become law before federal money can reach local projects.

For Port Jefferson, the funding is aimed at one of the most visible problems on the North Shore: repeated flooding that has strained streets, drainage systems and nearby properties after heavy rain. Village officials said after the unprecedented August 2024 storm that the grants administrator and the Department of Public Works were working with FEMA on a damage inventory and possible follow-up funding.

LaLota’s office framed the authorization as part of a broader push to address the county’s water needs, including drinking water, wastewater and stormwater. He has already highlighted $1.25 million for the Suffolk County Water Authority’s Westhampton Water Main Extension Project and $3.5 million for Suffolk County water quality improvements, signaling that Westhampton, Port Jefferson and other communities could see benefits if the federal process finishes.

The committee action came through the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, which House Transportation and Infrastructure materials say authorizes water resources projects nationwide and includes a new community project advisor program. The Suffolk money would sit alongside other major local water efforts already underway, from Suffolk County’s $4 billion multiphase plan to fight nitrogen pollution in surface waters to the $224 million groundbreaking for the Forge River Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Taken together, the projects point to the same set of pressures on Suffolk’s water system: flooding after extreme storms, polluted surface waters, aging wastewater infrastructure and the need for more resilient service lines in growing communities. For residents, the practical test will be whether the authorization turns into actual construction, drainage fixes and water improvements on the ground in Port Jefferson, Westhampton and other parts of Suffolk County.