A new Grinder Pump installation in Phase 1 area.

Phase 2 of the Westside Sewer Extension project has been approved.

The South and Center Chautauqua Lake Sewer Districts’ Board of Directors approved the map and plan report at its March meeting with the maximum amount to be spent on the project being $24 million.

The South and Center Chautauqua Lake Sewer Districts (SCCLSD) initiated the construction of Phase 1 of the project in 2021. Phase 1 would extend the district to the Hamlet of Stow and it is anticipated to be complete in 2023. Phase 2 is ready to be initiated which will extend the Districts from the Hamlet of Stow to the North Chautauqua Lake Sewer District border, near Prendergast Creek.

Board member and County Legislature Chairman Pierre Chagnon said the Westside Sewer Extension Phase 2 will complete the public sewers on the entire west side of Chautauqua Lake and is another milestone towards this end.

The Phase 2 Extension will be comprised of properties on the western shore of the Lake in the Towns of North Harmony and Chautauqua, generally along New York State Route 394. The proposed wastewater collection and conveyance facilities will extend the public sewer and provide direct benefit to the estimated 350 developed parcels. The area is currently serviced by private septic systems and individually maintained by the corresponding property owner.

Many of these systems are failing or reaching the end of their useful life. These failing systems are a contributor to elevated phosphorus levels within Chautauqua Lake and private water well contamination.

The proposed improvements include the construction of a new low-pressure force main sewer system with approximately 250 grinder-pumping stations. Each developed parcel will be served by a grinder pumping station that connects to the sewer main located along the road of each property. All sanitary waste from each developed parcel would then be pumped to the Wastewater Treatment Facility, located in Celoron. Following the installation and connection to the grinder pumping station, the septic system would then be cleaned and decommissioned.

The proposed Phase 2 project is eligible for State and Federal grant monies including New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Water Quality Improvements Project (WQIP) and New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC)’s Water Infrastructure Act (WIIA) funding. The County would be eligible to apply for a 30-year, interest-free loan through EFC’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The financial aid of these funding agencies will ensure that the Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) cost does not exceed $1,000 per year.

A Blue Green Algae bloom on Chautauqua Lake. (Photo courtesy of Chautauqua County Department of Health)

WASHINGTON – A provision within the proposed America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 includes a provision impacting Chautauqua Lake.

That’s according to Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who say they are seeking funding to authorize a Chautauqua Lake Feasibility Study.

“Chautauqua Lake currently suffers from continued environmental and economic damage caused by repeated algal blooms, and this study authorization would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate the excessive phosphorous runoff that causes these algal blooms,” stated a media release from Sen. Gillibrand’s office. “Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would be able to study flood risk management measures, assess ecosystem restoration efforts, and address the accelerated erosion along the lake’s tributary streambanks. Erosion along Chautauqua Lake’s tributary streambanks have resulted in excessive sediment deposition, which also impairs the lake’s water quality.

Senator Gillibrand voted with her committee colleagues to unanimously advance S. 2800 out of the Senate EPW Committee earlier this week. The bill now heads to the Senate floor for consideration.

The bipartisan America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 authorizes studies and projects carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the primary purposes of navigation, flood protection, and aquatic ecosystem restoration.