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Resident urges mayor to outline action plan on stormwater-sewer inflow and river overflows
Summary
A resident urged the mayor to provide a concrete action plan, funding strategy and RFP timeline to address stormwater inflow to Olean’s sewer system and overflows to the Allegheny River, saying previous studies showed remaining faults in catch basins.
Glenn Wall, a resident of Little Valley, used the public-comment period at the Jan. 14 meeting to press the mayor for a detailed action plan to address stormwater inflow that contributes to sewer overflows into the Allegheny River.
Wall said a 2022 study identified multiple catch basins plumbed into the sanitary sewer instead of the stormwater system and that he was told by city staff that about 75 such catch basins remained unfixed. He asked whether the city had identified nearby storm pipes for replumbing, when a new request for proposals (RFP) would be released, and who would lead the project. He told the council he had spoken with Brad Kemp and that city staff had indicated hiring an engineering firm was likely.
Wall asked the mayor to provide: an action plan that lists tasks, responsible staff, and deadlines; a goal deadline for fixing the problem; documentation of efforts to line up funding; and a schedule for issuing an RFP. He said the city’s previous notices had said the city was “working to alleviate the problem of the stormwater overflow during extremely heavy downpours,” and asked for evidence that the administration had moved beyond study to implementation. He told the council he would wait after the meeting for a response.
The committee record shows staff said further work was likely to require council-backed funding and consultant work; no specific funding sources, RFP release dates, or a project schedule were presented during the committee session.
