Cheektowaga officials briefed on DEC consent order, funding gaps for sewer overflow fixes

Pat Bowen, the town official assigned to manage the sewer consent-order work, told the Town of Cheektowaga Board at its May 13 meeting that the town remains under a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) consent order requiring steps to eliminate or sharply reduce sanitary sewer overflows during heavy rain and snowmelt.

Bowen said the town has completed pipeline rehabilitation in sewer sheds 1–8 and that work on sheds 9 and 10 is in progress. He told the board the system is largely old clay tile pipe, installed from the 1920s through the 1950s, and that defects at pipe joints and manholes allow groundwater and storm inflow (I&I) into the sanitary system during wet weather.

"All of our overflows occurred during wet weather events. We don't have any dry weather overflows into our creeks or ditches," Bowen said, summarizing the DEC finding and the town's monitoring results.

What the town did and still owes

He described projects completed and planned under a revised Schedule A in the consent order (the transcript notes the revised schedule "became effective in February" but does not specify the year). Key points Bowen gave to the board:

- The town divided the sanitary system into 10 sewer sheds. Sewersheds 1and 8 tributary to the town's main north pump station; sheds 9 and 10 flow to Plant 3 in the south. - The pipeline rehabilitation for sheds 1 through 8 is complete; lining work for sheds 9 and 10 was bid and is underway. - Manhole rehabilitation is complete in…