BSA protects public health and our Great Lakes waterways from water pollution. Our job is to maintain and improve the infrastructure, innovation, and efficiency of our water resources to ensure the quality of life throughout Western New York.
Operating as usual
🚨 REMINDER! 🚨 The deadline for our Water Amnesty program has been extended to June 30th, 2021. Apply now to clear any penalties and interest on your water bill. Visit bit.ly/GWW-WaterAmnesty or call 716-847-1065 today! 🌊
🚨 REMINDER! 🚨 The deadline for our Water Amnesty program has been extended to June 30th, 2021. Apply now to clear any penalties and interest on your water bill. Visit bit.ly/GWW-WaterAmnesty or call 716-847-1065 today! 🌊
Just a storm receiver doing what a storm receiver does best. #SoundOn #MondayVibes
It is a feat to retrofit another Raw Wastewater Pump at our Treatment Plant. 🛠️ This is part of a major capital project to upgrade the infrastructure at our Main Pump building. Each massive machine can handle up to 120 million gallons of wastewater per day through primary treatment! All hands on deck! ✋🏽
A round of applause for another #ThankALaborerThursday! Today we want to celebrate our superhero Curtis. Curtis works in Sewer Maintenance and supports the grey infrastructure in our collection system. He can be spotted here cleaning out debris from a storm receiver to help prevent street flooding. Thank you Curtis for your hard work! ✨
Sparking our treatment plant to life! ⚡ We recently installed a new transformer that controls energy to run our treatment plant process. This massive machine weighs 96 tons and needed to be barged over to Bird Island as it was too heavy for our bridges! Cleaning over 125 million gallons of water per day requires a lot of energy. 💡
Sparking our treatment plant to life! ⚡ We recently installed a new transformer that controls energy to run our treatment plant process. This massive machine weighs 96 tons and needed to be barged over to Bird Island as it was too heavy for our bridges! Cleaning over 125 million gallons of water per day requires a lot of energy. 💡
A beautiful day for the Coppertown Community Celebration this past Saturday! 🌤 At Jesse Clipper Memorial, we began the event by honoring COVID-19 victims. Our community partners then chatted with residents about native plantings, distributed plant giveaways, and even held a plant-based cooking demonstration with Eat Off Art! With our stormwater model in tow, Buffalo Sewer Authority discussed the importance of our Rain Check green infrastructure project along William St. 💧
Thank you to all our community partners Love Your Block Buffalo, Grassroots Gardens, Buffalo Freedom Gardens, National Wildlife Federation, City of Buffalo, Division of Citizens Services, PUSH Buffalo Blue! 🌱
It's going down, we're yelling TIMBER as we prune overgrown trees! 🌳 Great Wednesday this week for the SECOND Clean Sweep of the season in Niagara District with City of Buffalo, Division of Citizens Services! Our Buffalo Sewer Authority staff work closely with the Mayors Impact team to mow lots and clear debris from vacant homes. All hands on deck! 🖐
The power of cross collaboration! 💪 We have loved working with Love Your Block Buffalo at community events this past week. Together we can protect the public health of #Buffalo by picking up trash, planting gardens, and LOVING our beautiful city! This program also has a Mini-grant application where residents can receive up to $1500 for their neighborhood! Learn more at https://www.buffalony.gov/1387/LYB-Year-3-2021 ❤️ APPLY! 😁
Last Wednesday marks the kickoff event for Clean Sweep 2021 presented by Mayor Byron W. Brown and the City of Buffalo, Division of Citizens Services Oswaldo Mestre Jr.! This event brings together city and community partners to eliminate blight and reduce crime while providing social services for neighborhood residents. Buffalo Sewer Authority staff did a fantastic job with the Mayor's Impact Team cleaning up vacant and overgrown properties. Department of Public Works Street was also present mowing vacant lots, removing trash, and pruning trees with the Bureau of Forestry.
We loved engaging with the community partners present as they provided invaluable community resources including Board of Block Clubs of Buffalo and Erie County, Matt Urban Center, University at Buffalo Dental Center, and SO many more! Special thanks to Councilman Ulysees Wingo Jr. o for his attendance in support of the event!
Thank you Clean Sweep for allowing us to create a greener and cleaner #Buffalo! Here's to another great event this week. 🥂
Last week was National Public Works Week #NPWW with American Public Works Association! We celebrate the importance of public works in our daily lives from planning, building, managing, and operating our local communities. Wastewater and stormwater treatment is a critical piece to ensuring quality of life.
We challenge you to think about the role public works play in creating a great place to live! 👷🏡 #PWStrongerTogether
https://youtu.be/CGlACZwdWmc
Last week was National Public Works Week #NPWW with American Public Works Association! We celebrate the importance of public works in our daily lives from planning, building, managing, and operating our local communities. Wastewater and stormwater treatment is a critical piece to ensuring quality of life.
We challenge you to think about the role public works play in creating a great place to live! 👷🏡 #PWStrongerTogether
https://youtu.be/CGlACZwdWmc
We applaud National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) for supporting legislation to create a permanent nationwide program to help households struggling to afford their water bill. This bipartisan legislation was created by Reps. Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and John Katko (R-NY). With increasing costs to address aging infrastructure and growing water challenges, this program will support American families.
"While programs exist for helping Americans afford other essentials–food security and home energy–no similar program has been in place for water."
https://www.wateronline.com/doc/utilities-applaud-introduction-of-language-to-create-permanent-low-income-water-customer-assistance-program-0001
We applaud National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) for supporting legislation to create a permanent nationwide program to help households struggling to afford their water bill. This bipartisan legislation was created by Reps. Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and John Katko (R-NY). With increasing costs to address aging infrastructure and growing water challenges, this program will support American families.
"While programs exist for helping Americans afford other essentials–food security and home energy–no similar program has been in place for water."
https://www.wateronline.com/doc/utilities-applaud-introduction-of-language-to-create-permanent-low-income-water-customer-assistance-program-0001
Come out this Saturday May 22nd from 11 AM - 2 PM to learn about green infrastructure and bond with Coppertown residents to celebrate their historic neighborhood! 🌱 Event put together in partnership with Grassroots Gardens, PUSH Blue, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Buffalo Freedom Gardens, Love Your Block Buffalo, and City of Buffalo, Division of Citizens Services. A fun time guaranteed! 🎊
RSVP to Gail Wells at 716-830-9453.
Come out this Saturday May 22nd from 11 AM - 2 PM to learn about green infrastructure and bond with Coppertown residents to celebrate their historic neighborhood! 🌱 Event put together in partnership with Grassroots Gardens, PUSH Blue, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Buffalo Freedom Gardens, Love Your Block Buffalo, and City of Buffalo, Division of Citizens Services. A fun time guaranteed! 🎊
RSVP to Gail Wells at 716-830-9453.
Happy #ThankAnOperatorThursday! Today we spotlight Operator II Bob. The man, the myth, the legend, Bob has been working at Buffalo Sewer for 5 years and previously worked for the Mayor Byron W. Brown's Impact Team. He says, "I love helping the environment as an old environmentalist" with his job at the treatment plant. Thanks Bob for all your teamwork! 👷♂️
Happy #ThankAnOperatorThursday! Today we spotlight Operator II Bob. The man, the myth, the legend, Bob has been working at Buffalo Sewer for 5 years and previously worked for the Mayor Byron W. Brown's Impact Team. He says, "I love helping the environment as an old environmentalist" with his job at the treatment plant. Thanks Bob for all your teamwork! 👷♂️
Huge thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo as Buffalo Sewer Authority is delighted to announce we were awarded $1.1 million with the Green Innovation Grant program from New York State! This funding will continue the creation of green streets along Niagara St streetscape project. This project is in partnership with the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works.
The installation of stormwater planters and stormwater street trees will help to renovate an environmental justice area while improving the water quality of the Niagara River. We are excited to contribute to building a greener and cleaner City of #Buffalo! 🌱
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-nearly-20-million-water-quality-grants-12-million-awarded-projects
Huge thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo as Buffalo Sewer Authority is delighted to announce we were awarded $1.1 million with the Green Innovation Grant program from New York State! This funding will continue the creation of green streets along Niagara St streetscape project. This project is in partnership with the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works.
The installation of stormwater planters and stormwater street trees will help to renovate an environmental justice area while improving the water quality of the Niagara River. We are excited to contribute to building a greener and cleaner City of #Buffalo! 🌱
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-nearly-20-million-water-quality-grants-12-million-awarded-projects
A SUPER great time to talk about a SUPER great program ‼️ Check out https://getwaterwisebuffalo.org/ to learn more about our Water Affordability programs. The Deadline for our Water Amnesty program is around the corner June 30th 2021 to clear any interest and payments on your water bill. Feel like a hero and apply now to save money! 🦸
BREAKING NEWS! ⚡ Buffalo Sewer releases their Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Report and Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) Plan for public comment! Interested in how we comply with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for pollution prevention, or how we achieve our measurable goals towards our stormwater plan? Visit https://buffalosewer.org/about/transparency/ to ask questions and make comments on the report. 📝
This #InfrastructureWeek with United for Infrastructure we acknowledge the history of lack of investment in our water & sewer infrastructure. Today, Buffalo Sewer employs 50 workers who clean, inspect, and repair our City’s sewer system. Cleaning out seven feet deep catch basins requires a crane-like device to scoop out debris and built-up grit. To clean each catch basin can take over half an hour. Federal funding is essential to the ongoing maintenance and modernization of the sewer infrastructure of the City of #Buffalo and for the protection of public health and the environment.
This #InfrastructureWeek with @United4Infra, leaders around the county highlighted the importance of access to broadband internet. Advancing broadband for residents of the City of #Buffalo is important for education, health care, and jobs. @BURA launched a Broadband Assessment for the City to help plan for a connected future. There are separate surveys for homes and businesses. Visit https://www.buffalobroadband.com/ to fill out the survey – it only takes about 5 minutes!
This #InfrastructureWeek with @United4Infra, leaders around the county highlighted the importance of access to broadband internet. Advancing broadband for residents of the City of #Buffalo is important for education, health care, and jobs. @BURA launched a Broadband Assessment for the City to help plan for a connected future. There are separate surveys for homes and businesses. Visit https://www.buffalobroadband.com/ to fill out the survey – it only takes about 5 minutes!
Yesterday for #InfrastructureWeek with United for Infrastructure, We heard from members of congress, mayors, labor leaders and more on the importance of recalibrating our infrastructure to withstand a changing climate. Today, We turn to central themes around making infrastructure more equitable and ensuring that the benefits of the investments we make now are shared by all Americans. We loved hearing from Radhika Fox, Assistant Administrator for Office of Water at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about the importance of meaningfully engaging communities in the decision-making. We look forward to attending more events throughout the rest of this week!
Visit at https://unitedforinfrastructure.org/calendar/?mc_cid=ce19ff3fc0&mc_eid=424f7f23dd!
Yesterday for #InfrastructureWeek with United for Infrastructure, We heard from members of congress, mayors, labor leaders and more on the importance of recalibrating our infrastructure to withstand a changing climate. Today, We turn to central themes around making infrastructure more equitable and ensuring that the benefits of the investments we make now are shared by all Americans. We loved hearing from Radhika Fox, Assistant Administrator for Office of Water at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about the importance of meaningfully engaging communities in the decision-making. We look forward to attending more events throughout the rest of this week!
Visit at https://unitedforinfrastructure.org/calendar/?mc_cid=ce19ff3fc0&mc_eid=424f7f23dd!
What a great start to the 9th annual United for Infrastructure Week! We heard from an amazing array of speakers, including President Joe Biden, who highlighted the critical need for infrastructure investment. With our collective political will and a strong federal partnership, these investments will build resilient and sustainable #infrastructure while stimulating the economy and creating well-paying jobs, building climate resiliency, and advancing social equity. Fellow US Water Alliance partner, we admired Seattle Public Utilities Mami Patricia Hara's emphasize on water investment as an bipartisan priority to protect public health and collaborate across all sectors that utilize and benefit from water. We need federal funding to improve our water infrastructure without overburdening our ratepayers who currently load 95% of water investment. #LeadwithInfrastructure #ValueWater
Every day at 12 PM ET this week, UFI will feature keynote events and dozens of virtual partner events. Register at https://bit.ly/2SC5eXN!
Happy #ThankAnOperatorThursday! Today's spotlight is on our awesome Operator I Josh. Previously working at the City's Parks Department, Josh hopped over to Buffalo Sewer and has been hustling with us for the past 4 months! He loves working at our Central Control Room, known as CCR, in our Mega structure building. He also enjoys the wonderful staff he works with. Catch Josh cheesing here outside our sludge thickeners! 😁
Happy #ThankAnOperatorThursday! Today's spotlight is on our awesome Operator I Josh. Previously working at the City's Parks Department, Josh hopped over to Buffalo Sewer and has been hustling with us for the past 4 months! He loves working at our Central Control Room, known as CCR, in our Mega structure building. He also enjoys the wonderful staff he works with. Catch Josh cheesing here outside our sludge thickeners! 😁
Time for a recap! Our water exits our Conduit pipes after passing through our Fine Screens... where to next? Our Grit Chambers!
These chambers remove sand, silt, and grit from the influent before heading to primary clarification. This process of removal helps protect downstream equipment. Our new Operators Casey and Mike are working hard as long-time Operator Sal overviews the details of the grit removal system.
After traveling through the Grit Chambers, our effluent is off to the Primary Clarifiers!
We thank Erie County, NY Environmental Management Council (EMC) for bestowing our Water WORX Community Education program as a 2021 Environmental Excellence Award Winner. Buffalo Sewer partnered with Community Action Organization of Western New York and Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC to create a youth summer program that educates and engages neighborhoods about a green infrastructure site at a local community center. The program is designed to inspire the next generation of green infrastructure designers, installers and planners.
Thank you EMC for recognizing this exceptional project and our partners who were essential to its success!
For more info about this program, visit
https://raincheckbuffalo.org/project/water-worx-stormwater-education-program/!
We thank Erie County, NY Environmental Management Council (EMC) for bestowing our Water WORX Community Education program as a 2021 Environmental Excellence Award Winner. Buffalo Sewer partnered with Community Action Organization of Western New York and Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC to create a youth summer program that educates and engages neighborhoods about a green infrastructure site at a local community center. The program is designed to inspire the next generation of green infrastructure designers, installers and planners.
Thank you EMC for recognizing this exceptional project and our partners who were essential to its success!
For more info about this program, visit
https://raincheckbuffalo.org/project/water-worx-stormwater-education-program/!
65 Niagara Square
Buffalo, NY
14202
| Monday | 08:00 - 17:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:00 - 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:00 - 17:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Friday | 08:00 - 16:30 |
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We are 85 years old today! For the past 8 decades we have strived to protect our Great Lakes by collecting and cleaning billions of gallons of water for drinking, food, cleaning, health care, industry use and recreation. Thank you to all of our current and past employees who have worked tirelessly providing a 24 hours a day 7 days a week essential service to the residents of the City of Buffalo!
Our Smart Sewer located at Hertel at Deer in action. This is a view just upstream of the newly installed RTC structure holding back the flow of water from the rain today! Smart Sewers throughout our city help to prevent overflows during wet weather.
Football is Back! #BillsCamp has begun and with that comes a recap of the rookies coming to our beautiful City Hall featuring @MayorByronBrown and our own General Manager OJ McFoy!
Happy Juneteenth!
General Manager McFoy talking with students at Arthur O. Eve School of Distinction’s career day!
Here is our brand new BSA video!
Tracy King our Press Information Officer tells us a little about GI on Niagara Street! #ValueWater https://raincheckbuffalo.org/green-infrastructure-in-buffalo/
Regina Harris our Assistant Sanitary Engineer tells us a little more about GI on William Street! #ValueWater https://raincheckbuffalo.org/green-infrastructure-in-buffalo/
Kevin Meindl our UBRenew Green Infrastructure Fellow tells us a little about GI on Ohio Street! #ValueWater https://raincheckbuffalo.org/green-infrastructure-in-buffalo/
Today our General Manager OJ McFoy participated in a panel discussion entitled From Rust Belt to Green Belt, as part of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo’s Community Impact Tour.
Our fourth Intern Insight comes from Razul.
Our third Intern Insight comes from Hayley.
Our second Intern Insight comes from Mark.
Our first Intern Insight comes from Abby.
Happy National Professional Engineers Day! #LicensedPEDay
Happy 716 Day! #letsgoBuffalo
Happy Sunday and Happy Ice Cream Day!
As the City of Buffalo developed initially, the Niagara River was used as an economical and convenient means of disposal for the community’s sewage. As the city continued to grow, a sewer system was gradually constructed to carry combined sewage and stormwater to the Buffalo River, Scajaquada Creek, and Black Rock Canal. Untreated sewage was discharged directly into these water bodies at several points throughout the city. As Buffalo grew, so did the volume and concentration of sewage discharged to the receiving water bodies. The health of the receiving water bodies and the surrounding environment became severely threatened.
In 1935 the New York Health Department mandated the City of Buffalo to discontinue without delay the menacing nuisance of pollution of the River waters. Persistent pollution and disease as well as treaties between the United States and Canada (Boundary Waters Treaty) lead to a reassessment of the means by which not only Buffalo, but many cities on the border’s waters, disposed of sanitary wastewater. The Niagara River was specifically named as among the most important of the boundary waters.
Buffalo Sewer, a public benefit corporation, was created by an Act of the Legislature in the spring of 1935 and delegated the responsibility for providing an effectual means of relieving the Niagara River and other tributary streams from pollution by sewage and waste. Buffalo Sewer was authorized to borrow money, issue bonds and provide for their repayment, fix and collect rates and rentals, and in general assume full-responsibility for carrying out the State Health Department’s mandate.
Buffalo Sewer accepted and fulfilled its responsibility in full conformity with the intent and spirit of the mandate. It provided a system of intercepting sewers to bring sewage of the city to a then modern (1938) and efficient primary sewage treatment plant where solid matter was removed and incinerated, and all liquid matter chlorinated. With respect to the collection system, the City of Buffalo constructed a then state of the art combined sewer system that collected and transmitted sanitary and stormwater within a single pipe system. By design, the combined system was constructed with a number of overflow points, referred to as combined sewer overflows or CSOs which relieved the system during rainfall events when the large amounts of water (stormwater primarily) could have damaged the treatment plant and private property. For decades following its construction, the system served the city and surrounding suburbs well and continues to do so today.
However, with the increasing national awareness of the need to more fully protect our water resources, the State in 1966 directed further improvement of the facilities by providing secondary treatment. With the help of federal and state grants, secondary treatment facilities were constructed and placed in service in 1981. Throughout these improvements, the collection system continued to operate adequately with few improvements.
In the early 1990s the regulatory focus shifted from the treatment facilities to the collection systems. Not only in Buffalo but across the United States, emphasis was now being placed on the impacts of sewer overflows and on their reduction. In addition, Buffalo Sewer recognized the general inadequacy of the storm water capabilities of the existing combined sewer system of the city and prepared a comprehensive plan for the enlargement and betterment of the stormwater overflow system. It has since been engaged in the construction of sewers according to this plan and has eliminated many areas of formerly prevalent basement and surface flooding, as well as a number of the designed CSOs. Over time the need for continued reduction in the CSO events and volumes has been recognized by the regulatory agencies as well as Buffalo Sewer, and for some years now all new construction has been planned, whenever possible, to achieve this result or concept.
While much remains to be done, Buffalo Sewer is progressing toward having a high level of protection against such undesirable occurrences and at the same time doing its share in the fight against water pollution.
The Western New York Higher Education Health
65 Niagara Square, Room 607City of Buffalo Office of New Americans
65 Niagara Sq.311 Call and Resolution Center
65 Niagara Square, 218 City HallBuffalo Police Athletic League
65 Niagara Sq Rm 2101NATIONAL ASSOC. for HEALTH & FITNESS
65 Niagara SqBuffalo Permit and Inspection Services
65 Niagara SquareMasten District Common Council
1414 City HallAmerican Cancer Society's Cuisine for a Cure
107 Delaware AveErie County Board of Elections
134 West Eagle St
The Rites of Passage- Mentoring Program
2495 Main St, Ste 534
Edward A. Rath County Office Building
95 Franklin St
WE CAN! - WNY Ending Child Abuse & Neglect
C/O Joan A Male Family Support Center - 60 Dingens St
The Prevention Council of Erie County
1625 Hertel Ave
Ellicott District Community Development, Inc.
644 William St
Catholic Charities Service Corps (CCSC)
741 Delaware Ave
Population Health Collaborative
371 Delaware Avenue