Mayor Ryan Announces Multi-Million-Dollar State Investment for Sewer Upgrades
The City of Buffalo secured a multi-million-dollar state grant to modernize antiquated sewer infrastructure along the Black Rock Canal. The project aims to eliminate toxic wastewater overflows and protect the local watershed.
On April 2, 2026, Mayor Sean Ryan announced the allocation of a multi-million-dollar state investment dedicated to rectifying a critical infrastructure deficit under the Queen City Clean Waters Initiative. The project will target the Breckenridge Street Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), which has been a chronic source of pollution for the Black Rock Canal. Construction on the mitigation project is slated to begin this spring and will span the next two to three years.
Older municipalities like Buffalo heavily rely on combined sewer systems, which funnel rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater through a single pipe network. During heavy precipitation, the volumetric capacity is frequently exceeded, discharging untreated, toxic wastewater directly into local waterways. The engineering overhaul will physically eliminate the overflow capacity at the base of Breckenridge Street, routing all wastewater to appropriate treatment facilities regardless of precipitation levels.
Rosaleen Nogle, Principal Sanitary Engineer for the Buffalo Sewer Authority, highlighted that securing state funding for this environmental project was essential to minimizing the financial burden on local ratepayers. The upgrade will preserve the ecological integrity of the Black Rock Canal, enhancing the waterfront's viability for future public use and economic development.