Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressing their full support for the City of Watertown’s Defense Community Infrastructure Project grant application. The City of Watertown recently submitted an application to the Department of Defense (DoD) for a $17 million grant to help support Watertown’s water treatment plant improvement project.
Watertown’s water treatment plant provides Fort Drum with a large portion of its drinking water so it is eligible to receive DoD grant funding for this project. The improvement project is necessary to ensure the water treatment plant is in compliance with drinking water quality standards.
In the letter, the lawmakers state, “The City of Watertown’s WTP plays a critical role in providing potable water to Fort Drum, a cornerstone of our nation's defense infrastructure and a power projection platform for the United States Army. The proposed water quality improvement project will enhance the resiliency of Fort Drum, fortify its water supply, and improve the quality of life for military families and the surrounding communities.”
The lawmakers continue, “The City of Watertown’s WTP improvement project aligns directly with DCIP’s mission to “address deficiencies in community infrastructure, supportive of a military installation, in order to enhance military value, cadet training at covered educational institutions, installation resilience, and military family quality of life.” Additionally, water access is classified as defense-related critical infrastructure by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency which increases the priority of this project. Finally, this project is widely supported by Fort Drum and is construction ready. The City of Watertown’s WTP improvement project is fully qualified and deserving of this DCIP funding.”
"On behalf of the City of Watertown, I would like to express my gratitude to Congresswoman Stefanik and Congresswoman Tenney for their unwavering support of the City's efforts to secure crucial federal funding for our water treatment project," said Watertown City Mayor Sarah Pierce. "Their dedication to our community's health and well-being is truly commendable and I am appreciative of their partnership as we work to make this vital improvement a reality."
Read the full letter here.
