$1 billion being spent to 'significantly' improve Niagara River water quality

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — One billion dollars will be spent in efforts to “significantly” improve the quality of the water in the Niagara River, according to an agreement announced Friday between the Buffalo Sewer Authority, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Attorney General’s Office.

The agreement comes just days after the Buffalo Sewer Authority was sued after the state alleged that nearly three million gallons of “untreated sewage and runoff” were being discharged annually.

Under the new agreement, the city’s long-term control plan, initially planned in 2014 in an effort to reduce discharges, is being revised to include several infrastructure projects that will be done over a span of 15 years. The DEC alleged that Buffalo Sewer failed to meet the standards set over a decade ago to reduce discharges.

Buffalo Sewer will pay a $20,000 penalty and invest $100,000 into an “environmental benefit program,” which will include an education playground in Roosevelt Park in Buffalo.

The bodies of water affected by sewage and runoff include the Niagara River, Black Rock Canal, Erie Basin, Buffalo River, Scajaquada Creek and Cazenovia Creek.

The DEC also said the BSA committed at least 11 violations of a permit between August 2024 and December 2024.

“Protecting the Niagara River’s water quality is essential to preserving vital habitats and Western New York communities,” state DEC commissioner Amanda Lefton said in a news release Friday. “These robust actions will ensure cleaner water, address the infrastructure needs of the region’s residents, and provide the public with a seat at the table as Buffalo’s complex aging facilities are modernized.”