The Buffalo Sewer Authority has completed the first phase of a $430 million overhaul of the Bird Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, which handles sewage for roughly 450,000 customers in the city and surrounding communities.
The approximately $60 million project rehabilitated 64 aeration tanks and replaced aging equipment used to help bacteria break down contaminants in wastewater.
“The easiest analogy I can make about this facility and this project is the fact that it is the central nervous system of our wastewater infrastructure,” said Buffalo Sewer Authority Principal Sanitary Engineer Rosaleen Nogle.
The upgrades are also becoming more important as heavier storms put increasing pressure on the city’s sewer system, as the city experienced substantial flooding weeks ago.
“We experienced yet another historic rain and storm event that challenged our system, and in particular impacted businesses in the Hertel Avenue area. There is just nowhere for wastewater to go when these events occur, Nogle said.
Buffalo’s combined sewer system can discharge untreated sewage into local waterways when heavy rain sends more water into the system than it can handle. The Bird Island upgrades are part of the larger Queen City Clean Waters initiative aimed at reducing those overflows.
Mayor Sean Ryan says the goal goes beyond keeping sewage out of the water.
“Why can't we swim in the Outer Harbor? We can't swim there because of E. coli bacteria making it unsafe to swim," he said, "but this is a step towards the effort of making it so we have a swimmable city, and I think that is something we should be focusing on.”
The state provided grants and low-cost financing for the first phase. Environmental Facilities Corporation President and CEO Maureen Coleman says that financing is expected to produce significant savings in interest costs for Buffalo ratepayers.
“Seventy million dollars saved. It's not just a number on a balance sheet. It means $70 million that Buffalo ratepayers won't have to spend on debt,” Coleman said.
Phase Two is already underway and includes rehabilitation of sedimentation tanks dating to the 1930s, along with upgrades to pumps and wet-weather disinfection systems. All three phases are expected to be completed by 2034.
