The City of Newburgh, along with local, regional, and state partners, celebrated the completion of the North Interceptor Sewer Improvement project on Tuesday, Oct. 8. The $32 million project, which began in April 2022, is the largest clean water initiative in New York State and a key part of Newburgh’s $140 million infrastructure improvement plan.

Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey was joined by City Councilmembers Ramona Monteverde and Bob Sklarz at the event. Chief of Staff Mike Neppl welcomed attendees to the press conference, which marked the project’s completion.

“This is a transformative project for the health of the Hudson River and all the communities along it,” Neppl said. “It was brought to fruition through the hard work and determination of our incredible team here in Newburgh, but we didn’t get here alone.”

Neppl expressed gratitude to several key figures, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul; U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; Rep. Pat Ryan; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan; EPA Region 2 Administrator Lisa F. Garcia; New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Region 3 Director Kelly Turturro; Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson; and Riverkeeper’s Habitat Restoration Project Manager Madeline Feaster.

City Commissioner of Public Works Jason Morris was also recognized for his leadership in overseeing the project. He explained that the work involved a complete replacement and realignment of the sewer interceptor on the city’s eastern side, aimed at increasing sewer capacity and reducing combined sewer overflows into the Hudson River.

Morris detailed the project’s construction, which included a new tunnel 60 feet below Broadway, the installation of approximately 8,000 feet of new sewer main, the relocation of utilities such as water and gas mains, and the repaving of more than 7,300 feet of city streets. The project also included the reconstruction of 20 curb ramps to make them ADA-compliant, along with line striping and crosswalk improvements.

“We chose this location for today’s press conference to highlight the stunning views in Newburgh and raise awareness about the Hudson River, which benefits from this project,” Morris said. “This infrastructure represents the city’s commitment to improving water quality in the Hudson River. The North Interceptor project, along with other long-term control plan projects, will reduce combined sewer overflows into the river by about 56 million gallons per year.”

Morris also outlined the project’s funding sources, including $10 million from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Water Quality Improvement Program, $11 million from the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, $3.5 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $3.1 million from the EPA’s Community Grant Program, and $3 million from the American Rescue Plan, with additional funding from the Environmental Facilities Corporation’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

Mayor Harvey praised the project’s completion. “Today, we celebrate not only the completion of this project but also the resilience and dedication of our community,” he said. “This is a collective vision for a cleaner, greener future, and it underscores the importance of collaboration at every level of government.”

Harvey emphasized that the North Interceptor upgrade is about more than infrastructure. “It is a critical step towards safeguarding our environment and enhancing the quality of life for all citizens in Newburgh and our neighboring towns,” he said. “I also want to recognize the tremendous effort by our construction workers and all the hands and minds that made this project possible.”

Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson echoed the sentiment. “I congratulate the City of Newburgh for completing this monumental environmental project in record time—just two and a half years,” Jacobson said. “And it was done at minimal or no cost to taxpayers. This is a proud day for Newburgh, for New York State, and for anyone who loves the Hudson River.”