Queen City Clean Waters Initiative

Join Our Virtual Community!

Join the Queen City Clean Waters Interactive Website! Explore, learn, and take action to protect our local waterways. Get involved today and make a difference!

About The Initiative

The Queen City Clean Waters Initiative will reduce overflows from the City’s sewers by helping flow reach the Bird Island Wastewater Treatment Facility during wet weather, instead of entering Buffalo’s creeks and river. Implementing this initiative, at 50+ sites, will cost at least $1B over the next 15 years, including $250M+ in treatment facility upgrades.

Clean waters and a resilient Buffalo.

To safeguard public health and the environment while fostering strong community partnerships, creating meaningful workforce opportunities, and driving lasting economic impact for future generations in Buffalo.

Take Our Survey

Your feedback will help shape cleaner, resilient, and equitable solutions for Buffalo!

Start Now
We need your input!

What do you think would work best to improve our Storm Water System? (Green Infrastructure, Community Initiatives, Placemaking, etc).

Share Now
Join Our Social Map

Discover, learn, and comment on sewer improvement projects in your neighborhood

Join Now

Initiative Timeline

Timeline item 1 - complete

Queen City Clean Waters Initiative Brand Launch

On October 16th, 2024 the Buffalo Sewer Authority (BSA), elected officials, and community stakeholders gathered at Freedom Park to unveil the Queen City Clean Waters Initiative. The initiative is a $1 billion undertaking to improve local waterways over the next 15 years. The initiative will include infrastructure enhancements at 50+ sites across the city, including $250 million in upgrades at the Bird Island Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Timeline item 2 - active

Stakeholder Advisory Committee Monthly Meetings

The task of the Stakeholder Advisors will be meeting with the Buffalo Sewer Authority Staff and consultant team will participate in monthly meetings to provide guidance and assistance to Buffalo Sewer Authority staff and consultants working on the QCCW initiative on the engagement process. We will be hosting a series of meetings to enhance our engagement strategies.
Timeline item 3 - complete

Queen City Clean Waters | Virtual Public Participation Forum
Details
Buffalo Sewer is planning $1B in sewer projects over the next 15 years to reduce wet weather discharges of sewage and to improve our community.
Learn more about these planned projects throughout the City of Buffalo and your council district, and learn how to get involved in the Queen City Clean Waters (QCCW) Initiative.
Agenda:
Overview of Buffalo Sewer and Queen City Clean Waters
Question & Answer (Q&A) session
Community Engagement approach and opportunities
Walkthrough of the new Queen City Clean Waters interactive website https://buffaloqccw.org/
Final Q&A and closeout
Comments and Q&A are welcome throughout the session, using the chat feature.
Register at the link below:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b33b83be-...
Timeline item 4 - active

Queen City Clean Waters Fair

You’re Invited! 🌊 Queen City Clean Waters Fair – A Fun, Free Family Event!
Buffalo Sewer Authority invites you and your family to the Queen City Clean Waters Fair — free entry and open to the public!

Friday, August 29, 2025
🕓 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Hoyt Lake, Delaware Park
🎟️ Free and open to the public!

Join us for a fun-filled evening while also learning how the Queen City Clean Waters program is improving Buffalo’s communities, public health, and environment. Explore our clean water projects with interactive watershed demonstrations, virtual tours, and environmental activities for all ages.

And there’s plenty of fun, too!
🎈 Games & Prizes
📚 Bookbag & Book Giveaways
🍿 Food
🎶 Music

Whether you're curious about water quality, want to support a more resilient Buffalo, or are just looking for a great way to spend the evening with your family, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at the Queen City Clean Waters Fair.

We hope to see you there!
Timeline item 5 - incomplete

Edison Street & Martha Street Offline Storage Project

The Edison-Martha OLS project involves the construction of an underground, offline concrete tank capable of storing combined sewage flows to reduce overflows to the buried section of Scajaquada Creek. The design is ongoing and will be complete in Fall 2026. Construction will start in Summer 2027.
Timeline item 6 - incomplete

Sidney Street & Lark Street Offline Storage Project

The Sidney-Lark OLS project involves the construction of an underground, offline concrete tank capable of storing combined sewage flows to reduce overflows to the buried section of Scajaquada Creek. The design is ongoing and will be complete in Spring 2027. Construction will start in Winter 2027.

FAQs

Buffalo Sewer is working diligently to improve the City's existing sewer infrastructure in a cost-effective manner that will reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) impacting surface waters.

Community engagement began in May 2024, with updates via council district breakfasts, community events, and a Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) of residents, business owners, organizations, and stakeholders.

During construction, residents can expect to see equipment on the road and new traffic patterns in place, as listed and shown below: partial or full road closures, sidewalk closures, limited street parking, and possible detours.

Temporary disruptions, such as noise and dust, will be minimized as much as possible.

Sewage odors will NOT be present in homes but may be present outside.

Residents may experience temporary sewer and water service interruptions for a few hours, with advance notifications provided.

These interruptions will not last days. Buffalo Sewer will also address concerns about explosives, drilling, dust, and air pollution, and manage environmental hazards like asbestos and PCB-laden soils per best practices.

It is anticipated some roadways will be fully or partially closed during portions of the construction period. Traffic will be redirected or rerouted so you will be able to reach your destination. All traffic will be redirected based on the City of Buffalo guidelines.

Construction won't impact local businesses, and detours will ensure emergency services can access all locations despite any road closures.

Temporary changes to parking and public transporation may occur during construction, but services can access all locations despite any road closures.

Buffalo Sewer will pay for the projects under the Queen City Clean Waters Initiative with a combination of New York State grant funds and low interest loans.

As we are doing this work, we are taking best practices from places like New York City and other larger cities. We will be taking their best practices on rodent control and incorporating them into our design specifications and what we have to hold contractors accountable to, so that we are protecting the City of Buffalo.

City Code dictates noise limits 7 AM - 8 PM and all work will meet those requirements. Construction takes place Monday through Friday, and we’re off on holidays. Throughout the design process we are actively looking for ways that we can reduce noise impacts, reduce vibration impacts, and look at alternative routings.

Yes, Buffalo Water and Buffalo Sewer are two separate entities. Billing is managed for both entities by a private company, Veolia. Veolia collects both Buffalo Sewer Authority's and Buffalo Waters' rates and disperses them to each accordingly.

The materials used for the underground collection units are expected to have a 100-year design life with some rehabilitation likely at 50 years.

Testing will be conducted to the extent of the excavation, including those areas that may be disturbed for shoring and access rather than the structures themselves. In general, the total area of testing will extend 3-10 feet away from the structures. If contaminated material is encountered, it will be kept covered while stored on-site behind fencing and it will be covered before being removed from the site. The impact to adjacent residents would be limited to truck traffic from the removal of materials and noise associated with the excavation.

Ultimately, Buffalo Sewer is responsible for completing the soil testing. For Sidney at Lark, Buffalo Sewer is contracting with consulting firms CHA and Hazen Engineering who will oversee additional environmental testing for design purposes. Preliminary testing has been completed by Atlantic Testing Laboratories. It is not expected that contaminated materials will be encountered for this project, but the bedrock itself does provide hazards to workers that need to be addressed.

Document Library

Contact Information
Name	The Hallmark Firm
Phone	7164869763
Email	QueenCityCleanWaters@buffalosewer.org
Website	www.thehallmarkfirm.com

Name

The Hallmark Firm

Phone

7164869763

QueenCityCleanWaters@buffalosewer.org

Website

Queen City Clean Waters Fair

Masten District Meeting

Masten District Meeting

Lovejoy District Meeting

Delaware District Meeting

Ellicott District Meeting

About The Initiative

Take Our Survey

We need your input!

Join Our Social Map

Initiative Timeline

Contact Us

Contact Us

About The Initiative

Vision

Mission

Take Our Survey

We need your input!

Join Our Social Map

Initiative Timeline

Contact Us

Contact Us