Keaton PetersThe Buffalo Sewer Authority has announced a $1 billion initiative to upgrade the city’s wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. The 15-year program, known as Queen City Clean Waters, will modernize more than 50 sites across Buffalo, including a $250 million upgrade to the Bird Island Wastewater Treatment Facility.
This investment addresses one of Western New York’s most pressing environmental challenges: the overflow of hundreds of millions of gallons of mixed stormwater and sewage into local waterways. During times of heavy rain and snowfall, these combined sewer overflows pose significant risks to public health, water quality and local ecosystems by releasing untreated sewage directly into Buffalo’s creeks and rivers. Such contamination affects recreational water use, threatens aquatic life and can lead to beach closures and public health advisories.
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The program encompasses several categories of infrastructure improvements. Combined sewer overflow storage projects will expand system capacity, while “smart” sewers with real-time controls will optimize flow management. Green infrastructure installations will help manage stormwater at the surface level before it enters the system.
Key projects include the East Delavan Sewer Project and the Edison & Martha OLS Project, which will provide additional storage capacity during high-flow events. The Black Rock Canal & Scajaquada Creek Project will implement smart sewer controls to better manage water flow between systems.
The $250 million investment in the Bird Island Treatment Facility upgrades will increase the facility’s capacity to process wastewater during wet weather events, reducing the frequency and volume of overflow incidents.
The initiative also incorporates the RainCheck 2.0 program, which focuses on green infrastructure solutions such as rain gardens, permeable pavement and other surface-level water management strategies to reduce system burden during storms.
Implementation will occur over 15 years, with multiple projects running concurrently across the city. The Buffalo Sewer Authority is currently accepting applications from design consultants, construction contractors, and vendors interested in participating in the initiative.
For more information about Queen City Clean Waters and project opportunities, interested parties can visit the Buffalo Sewer Authority website.
Photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash
