The press conference, held at the Doles Center in Mount Vernon, welcomed both state and local officials to discuss the city's long-standing water infrastructure issues, and the progress that has been made with the help of a $150,000,000 state grant.

In 2022, New York state invested $150,000,000 in the City of Mount Vernon to address its failing and outdated water systems.

One of the biggest issues property owners in Mount Vernon faced was sewage water backing up and flooding their homes.

This is due to rain flooding storm drains which then goes into the Hutchinson River mixing river water with sewage.

"The stormwater rushes back up through the drains and in Mount Vernon it mixes with our sewer water, and it violently rushes back in through the toilet's, the tub, and the sink drains in people's houses," said Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard.

The Third Street Sewer Project, which has now been completed, and the Mount Vernon Healthy Homes Pilot Program, which were made possible in part by the state's investment, work to strengthen water-related infrastructure and protect homes from flooding.

Mayor Patterson-Howard says both programs are working to quell the issue.

"Five hundred backups that we were seeing into businesses and homes, are now down to 50. That's a 90% reduction in backups. We've been able to replace the Third Street Pump Station, which services 5,000 families," she said.

She added that the work is not done yet, as she, and city officials, look forward to rebuilding portions of the city's sewer infrastructure, which will also come will newly paved roads.