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Our Stormwater Challenge
The ways Buffalo keeps the stormwater challenge in check
Buffalo keeps the stormwater challenge in check in many ways. Some are “smart” and gray, others are green. All are designed to promote healthy waterways.
Tackling the problem underground with pipes, pumps, and “smart” sensors.
Getting pollutants off our streets so they never enter our sewer systems and waterways.
Pipes, pumps, and gray, underground infrastructure are the foundation of how we collect wastewater from local homes and businesses. They also collect stormwater from the 18,000 storm drains maintained by Buffalo Sewer across the city. On days with minimal or no rain or snowmelt, this system filters out wastewater and pollutants from water before it gets deposited back into our waterways.
Preventing pollutants from entering our waterways is a lot cheaper and more effective than treating and cleaning contaminated water. In maintaining streets and parks, Buffalo uses various “best management practices” to keep the stormwater challenge in check. The Department of Public Works, Parks & Streets regularly sweeps and vacuums city streets to keep all sorts of pollutants (road salt, oil and grease, pet waste, etc.) out of the sewer system and away from our waterways. City departments also refrain from using pesticides in maintaining green space and parks. This makes our parks healthier places for residents and keeps these materials out of our streams and sewer system.
Contemporary gray infrastructure investments can fix compromised pipes or modernize older technology so that it performs at a higher level. Increasingly, Buffalo Sewer is looking at “Real Time Control” measures to maximize sewer performance and minimize how much untreated water goes directly into our water bodies. Using sensors, this “smart” technology can tell what parts of the system will be under the most stress during a rain or snowmelt event, and divert waste and stormwater, “in real time,” to parts of the system that will be less stressed.