The City of Syracuse is starting to have conversations with Onondaga County about how tackle the area's old, leaky sewer system. County Executive Ryan McMahon is embarking on an ambitious plan to consolidate ownership of sewers across all municipalities in order to make repairs and meet regulations.
The legislature has already obliged by approving agreements with municipalities in the Meadowbrook-Limestone sanitary district, which includes part of Syracuse. City Director of Operations Corey Dunham says it's a good starting point.
“There is an excess of amount of water being treated there really beyond what the plant is intended for, and so a lot of that has to do with ground water getting into the sewer system. So how do we try and make sure that we’re minimizing the amount of infiltration and inflow that’s getting into the treatment plant?”
The plant itself is located in Kirkville. Dunham says they’re trying to assess other areas of concern, including the Valley, where basements have flooded.
“They have some issues in terms of their sewer system, and what we’re trying to do with the I Team is collect some of the data to figure out where some of these sewer backups are happening.”
Dunham says a better sewer system is a top priority for both the city and county because of the impact on residents and economic development.