New York announces $40M for water quality projects

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced nearly $40 million in grants to reduce water pollution and protect bodies of water around the state.

The grants outlined on Tuesday will support 134 projects in all.

Twenty-three million dollars will go to projects that seek to control water pollution by preventing floods and storm water runoff, which can carry pollutants into streams and lakes.

Nearly $10 million will go toward wastewater treatment plant upgrades.

Cuomo says protecting the state's waterways is "vital" to the quality of life, and that the money will not only protect the environment but help local communities prepare for flood and storms.