CLIFTON -- United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Canton office today announced the town is eligible to receive $723,000 in grant funding for a new wastewater collection and treatment system in Newton Falls.

The $4.314 million project received a jump start in 2008 when a $1 million grant from NYSDEC was issued due to the substantial amount of septic system failures in Newton Falls.

The remaining project funds will come from another $2 million in principal forgiveness and $591,000 in a 30 year interest free loan from the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation.

“The Town is excited to be moving this project forward after all this time and offering a much needed service to our residents and to the future owners of the Paper Mill,” said Supervisor Robert Snider.

The Town has been working with engineering firm Barton & Loguidice, P.C. (B&L) since 2008 developing the project. “It’s great to see this community get the financial assistance it needs to make this project a reality,” said project engineer Dustin Clark, P.E. “We’re excited to be a part of a project that will be such an asset for the Newton Falls community and take an unnecessary burden off the (Newton Falls) paper mill.”

B&L is also looking forward to being able to progress the project from the firm’s new Watertown office, slated to open later this year.

The Newton Falls Fine Paper Mill currently owns and operates a severely deteriorating wastewater treatment plant that also treats sewage from about 14 houses in the hamlet. The project would re-route those houses to the new Wastewater Treatment Plant as well as treat the sewage from the mill.

The new Wastewater Treatment Facility will be located just outside the hamlet across from the paper mill’s scale house. To further reduce project costs, engineers are proposing grinder pumps and a low pressure force main to collect sewage from residents in the hamlet.

“The low pressure collection system is significantly less expensive than a gravity collection system primarily due to the expense of deep excavations and a substantial amount of rock removal that would be required to install a gravity system,” said Mr. Clark. The project is expected to break ground next summer and will cost residents in the district $540 per year.