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The first trench in sewer separation for the Parkway-Rockland area (2007)
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Separating sewers
Some areas of Syracuse have sewers that carry both
sanitary sewage—from homes and businesses—and also
stormwater from the streets. During dry weather these
sewers carry all the sanitary sewage to the Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant for
treatment.
During times of heavy rain or melting snow, however,
the amount of water is far greater than the capacity
of the sewers. At these times, the sewers overflow and
discharge the excess—a combination of runoff and
sanitary sewage—into Onondaga Creek and Harbor Brook and
eventually gets to Onondaga Lake. This is
combined sewer overflow (CSO).
The sewer system was designed to overflow in this way
to prevent sewage from backing up into streets and
basements.
CSOs create human health risks because they add
bacteria, floating trash, organic material, heavy
solids, and grit to city streams and Onondaga Lake. Material
from CSOs collects on vegetation along and in streams.
It looks bad and smells bad, and it can also transmit
disease to humans who may come in contract with the
water. Material from CSOs also depletes the dissolved
oxygen in the water that is necessary for aquatic
life.
Onondaga County will meet or exceed federal and state water
quality
requirements with CSO abatement,
reduce human health risks associated with the discharge of
untreated sewage to Onondaga Creek and Harbor Brook and Onondaga Lake, and eliminate
odors caused by discharging overflows.
The County will also make improvements to the area
affected by construction of the abatement work.
Onondaga County is implementing sewer separation in
thirteen areas in Syracuse.
 Current separation project: Parkway Drive and Rockland Avenue area.
Overflows from combined sewers are being abated
Before about 48 years ago, Syracuse had ninety
points where sewage could overflow and reach Onondaga Creek,
Harbor Brook, or Ley Creek. The City of Syracuse owned
and maintained the sewerage system. The City did not
eliminate any of the overflows of the combined sewers.
Onondaga County began to take ownership of the combined
trunk sewers and two interceptor sewer lines in the
1960s and ’70s. It immediately began making
improvements. By 1985, it had closed permanently about
forty overflow points.
Brief history of local sewerage facilities.
Today
we have just 49 overflow
points, and that number will diminish further as
additional projects are completed.
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Trenching and replacing sewers on Parkside Avenue (2005)
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Sewers in West Street near West Genesee Street were
successfully separated, and the surrounding area was
restored—even improved in appearance. Most important
for water quality, three combined sewer overflows to
Onondaga Creek were eliminated.
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In concert with the City's refurbishing of Clinton
Square downtown, Onondaga County separated one of two
previously combined lines (CSO 024). The pipe was
relined and now transports wastewater only. The new
sewer main is used for stormwater only. This project
eliminated one overflow point.
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A $2.1 million construction contract was awarded for
the West Brighton Sewer Separation
Project at the end of 2002. This project was
completed in 2003 and eliminated two CSOs.
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In 2005, sewers were separated in the Taylor-Tallman and Onondaga Avenue
CSO basins (038-040 and 046A-046B). These projects
installed new sewers and converted existing combined
sewers to carry stormwater only, thus eliminating the
release of combined sewage and stormwater from four
overflow points along Onondaga Creek. The cost of the
project was about $4.9 million.
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In November 2006, Onondaga County completed sewer separation
at South Avenue and Bissell
Street. This effort closed two overflow points.
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In July 2007, sewer separation efforts began in the Parkside Drive-Rockland Avenue
area. This project should be completed in the fall
of 2008. It will eliminate one overflow point.
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Onondaga County is working with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers to develop preliminary sewer separation
construction documents for the remaining CSO basins.
These projects will be advanced as federal grant funds
become available. All sewer separation projects are
expected to be complete by 2012.
Sewers separation is proceeding in the following areas:
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W. Water St, north
Susan Miller, Project Deputy Director
Onondaga County Dept of Water Environment Protection