Astorino Announces Pact to Speed Clean Water ProjectsCounty Executive Robert P. Astorino and the Northern Westchester Watershed Committee (NWWC) gathered at the Yorktown Town Hall Tuesday to announce a major inter-municipal agreement (IMA) with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection that will cut the time it takes to complete $10 million in clean water projects.  

The new IMA covers 10 northern Westchester towns and is expected to reduce project time by months by streamlining approvals through a single management process.

"This agreement shows how different levels of government can and should work together to deliver services faster, better and cheaper," said Astorino. "This is good government at work."

Sixteen years ago, New York City paid Westchester County $38 million to create the East of Hudson Water Quality Investment Program Fund. The money is to pay for dozens of water quality improvement projects in northern Westchester that are designed to protect New York City's drinking water supply. Approximately $28 million of the fund has been disbursed already.

Mary Beth Murphy, the NWWC Chair and Town of Somers Supervisor, said, "I am extremely proud of and grateful to all my colleagues in local government both in Westchester and Putnam Counties for their patience, tenacity and hard work in achieving this milestone. County Executive Rob Astorino supported the towns in this initiative from day one, and the County Executive's administration stayed with us every step of the way to see this agreement through to completion."

The 10 ten towns that entered into the agreement are Bedford, Cortlandt, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge, Somers and Yorktown.

Photo (l. to r.): Joan Maybury (Town of Mount Pleasant Supervisor), Warren Lucas (Town of North Salem Supervisor), Mary Beth Murphy (Town of Somers Supervisor and Northern Westchester Watershed Committee Chair), Michael Kaplowitz (Westchester County Legislator, District 4), Robert P. Astorino (Westchester County Executive), Michael Grace (Town of Yorktown Supervisor), Howard Arden (Town of North Castle Supervisor) and Peter Parsons (Town of Lewisboro Supervisor).