New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the start of a $55 million wastewater treatment project for Buffalo Sewer authority Oct. 19.
The project aims to modernize the Bird Island facility with goals for reducing pollution into the Niagra River. The announcement was made as part of the commemoration of the 50-year anniversary of the Clean Water Act.
In a press release, Gov. Hochul said this project is being done in partnership between the U.S. EPA and the state of New York to put “an end to decades of disinvestment in critical water infrastructure that has been left to fall into disrepair.”
“"This $55 million project will be crucial to safeguarding our public and environmental health, and is the latest investment in our nation-leading efforts to modernize New York's water infrastructure,” Hochul said in the release. “My administration is committed to maximizing New York State's unprecedented clean water investments and the historic funding in the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help protect our precious water resources, and provide a healthy environment for our families, businesses and communities to thrive."
Funding for this project is provided through a handful of sources. New York state has committed $55 million in low-cost financing and grants that include a $9 million grant from the Environmental Facilities Corporation through the Water Infrastructure Improvement grant program; $9 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund; and $10 million from the Department of Environmental Conservation through state funding from the Water Quality Improvement Project grant program. The remaining funding, according to the governor’s news release, will come from low-cost Clean Water State Revolving Funds.
In a press release from the city of Buffalo, New York, Buffalo Sewer Authority General Manager Oluwole A. McFoy, P.E., said this project is vital for the future of the city.
“This project is an investment in local waterways by BSA to reduce combined sewer overflows in the City of Buffalo and surrounding communities. These once-in-a-lifetime retrofits and upgrades to Buffalo’s historic treatment facility will also ensure the continued operation of this community resource,” McFoy said in the release.
The Bird Island Wastewater Treatment Facility was last upgraded to this degree in the 1970s, but it was originally constructed in the 1930s. The project is aimed at replacing and updating aged and aging infrastructure that will also bring modern technology to the facility.
Additionally, Buffalo Sewer Authority aims to use these upgrades to address climate resilience, particularly in regards to extreme weather events that result in sewer overflows and flooding. These events can overwhelm the city’s combined storm and sanitary sewer infrastructure, resulting in a issues of public health and complaints from residents.
One other priority is improvements to the effluent discharged from the Bird Island Wastewater Treatment Facility to improve the water quality of the Niagra River. This includes “more robust sewage treatment processes and collection system improvements,” according to the press release from Gov. Hochum’s office.
