SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $1.5 MILLION FOR ONEIDA COUNTY TO IMPROVE CITY OF ROME’S WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN PREPARATION FOR CHOBANI’S NEW FACILITY

With Chobani Investing $1.2 Billion In Oneida County – The Largest Natural Food Making Investment In American History – To Create 1,000+ Good-Paying, Local Jobs, Schumer Delivers Major Federal Investment For Wastewater System Upgrades Needed To Support Historic Dairy Processing Plant

Senator Explains New $$$ Will Enhance The Reliability, Resilience, And Efficiency Of Local Infrastructure, Unlock New Growth In The City of Rome And Oneida County & Support Upstate NY Dairy Farmers

Schumer: Fed $$ Flowing For Water Infrastructure In Oneida County

WASHINGTON, D.C. – RealEstateRama – U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer announced he has secured $1,500,000 in federal funding for Oneida County to make key wastewater infrastructure upgrades in the City of Rome needed to support Chobani’s new diary processing plant and strengthen the city’s wastewater system.

“With Chobani’s historic diary processing plant on the way, it’s never been clearer that all roads lead to Rome, but the local wastewater system still needs major upgrades to prepare for millions of gallons of new discharge that will need to be treated every single day. That is why I am proud to announce that $1.5 million in federal funding I secured will soon flow to Oneida County for new wastewater infrastructure in the City of Rome to support Chobani’s growth in the Mohawk Valley and the 1,000+ good-paying local jobs it will create,” said US Senator Charles E. Schumer. “This federal investment is vital to supporting new economic development here in the Mohawk Valley, supporting good-paying local jobs, and helping our Upstate dairy industry grow. I will never stop fighting to improve critical infrastructure in the City of Rome, Oneida County, and all across the Mohawk Valley, so we can welcome more investments like Chobani and create more good-paying jobs from our factories to our farms and beyond.”

Schumer explained that this project is important to Mohawk Valley residents, Upstate New York dairy farmers, and communities all across New York State because it will support Chobani’s planned 2 million square-foot expansion, creating more than 1,000 new good-paying jobs. Last year, Schumer celebrated Chobani’s decision to invest $1.2 billion to construct a state-of-the-art dairy processing plant at the Griffiss Triangle Site in the City of Rome, the largest investment in natural food making in American history.

More specifically, this funding will support wastewater infrastructure upgrades needed to provide sufficient wastewater capacity for both the construction of Chobani’s plant and future demands on the local wastewater system. Currently, the City of Rome Wastewater Treatment Facility treats an average of 6 million gallons of discharge daily and has the capacity to treat up to 12 million gallons per day. Approximately 20 times each year, the Rome Wastewater Treatment facility exceeds its 12 million gallon per day capacity due to intense rainfall and snowmelt. With Chobani expected to increase average daily discharge by about 3 million gallons to 9 million gallons per day, wastewater infrastructure upgrades are a key part of preparing the Rome wastewater system to handle increased daily demand and maintain normal wastewater operations during peaks in demand.

The wastewater infrastructure upgrades funded by this award will not only set the stage for Chobani’s expansion, but they will also improve the reliability, resilience, and efficiency of the City of Rome’s wastewater system and unlock future economic development opportunities for Oneida County and the City of Rome.

“This federal investment is another critical step forward in bringing Chobani’s transformational project at Griffiss to fruition,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “Oneida County made a substantial, long-term investment to ensure our site was shovel-ready and has worked hand-in-hand with Chobani at every stage of development to prepare the infrastructure necessary to support a project of this scale. I want to thank Senator Schumer for securing this funding, which goes a long way toward furthering our shared efforts to strengthen wastewater capacity, support this historic expansion in Rome, and position Oneida County and the Mohawk Valley for sustained economic growth.”

“For more than two decades, New York has been home to Chobani, and we’re proud to deepen that commitment in Rome,” said Nishant Roy, Chief Impact Officer at Chobani. “Senator Schumer has been an advocate for Chobani from the start — from our humble beginnings in an abandoned yogurt plant in Chenango County to the largest-ever investment in natural foods here in the Mohawk Valley. This federal funding is an investment in the infrastructure and shared responsibility that allow communities, farmers, and businesses to grow together and shape a resilient future for Upstate New York.”

“I want to thank Senator Schumer for his continued support of the City of Rome and for securing this critical federal investment that moves the Chobani project at Griffiss another major step forward,” said Rome Mayor Jeffrey M. Lanigan. “This is a transformational, once-in-a-generation project for Rome and the entire Mohawk Valley, and ensuring our wastewater infrastructure can support a development of this magnitude is essential to its success. We are working closely with Chobani and Oneida County to bring this historic investment to completion—one that will create thousands of construction and permanent jobs, strengthen our local economy, and position Rome as a hub for future growth. This funding is not just an infrastructure upgrade; it is a key piece of making sure this project delivers lasting economic benefits for our city and region.”

The federal funding comes from the FY2026 Interior spending bill which passed the Senate last week after passing in the House of Representatives the week prior and is now on its way to be signed into law.

Chobani, which is America’s No. 1-selling Greek yogurt brand and the second largest overall yogurt manufacturer, calls New York State home. Currently, Chobani employs over 1300 people at its Chenango County and New York City offices, and purchases 95% of its dairy from New York farmers for its products made in New York State.

Schumer has long supported the Greek yogurt industry in Upstate New York, previously ensuring that it was included in the USDA’s school lunch program with Chobani and the broader Greek yogurt industry in mind. Schumer explained that Greek yogurt is a highly nutritious product that has become a popular and healthy food staple for millions of Americans, including students across the country who take part in the USDA Child Nutrition programs. Schumer said that starting in the fall of 2015, after his push, the USDA added Greek yogurt to its list of items available in the National School Lunch Program. Schumer has additionally called on the USDA to update its protein crediting system to ensure that Greek yogurt is given credit for the protein it contributes and is continuing his advocacy to ensure that the crediting system will ultimately reflect the nutritional quality of Greek yogurt, making it a cost-competitive option for schools to purchase.

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