Treatment bypass reported — Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island, Aug 23, 2026

Ended (as reported) · Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know)

Source: Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2695626164916007, reported Aug 25, 2026, 2:26 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice

Current status from this report

This report does not set a map status as of Nov 2, 2026, 4:26 PM EST. Check its dates and the status rules.

A report is not a test of the water. See how we assign statuses.

Read the original notice · Report an error

1. Reported wastewater outlet

Operator named in the record: Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (federal wastewater discharge permit, NPDES, NY0028410). Outlet: “Permitted outfall”. Location: 42.91940, -78.90430; location source: given in the source record.

Outfall: a pipe or outlet where wastewater enters a water body.

2. Waters named in the notice

The notice names: “Niagara River”. DirtyWaterWatch links this report to Niagara River, NY. Match basis: the water named in the report.

3. Estimated downstream stretch

No downstream estimate is available for this report.

Map sources: water outlines and launches from OpenBoatLaunch and OpenStreetMap contributors (Open Database License); wastewater outlets from EPA and state records; downstream estimates by DirtyWaterWatch using U.S. Geological Survey maps and flow data. Base map: OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles.

Open on the main map

When it happened and when it was reported

Event and notice times use Eastern Time (EST or EDT). Retrieval times use Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Started: Aug 23, 2026, 5:51 AM EDT
Ended: Aug 23, 2026, 6:17 AM EDT
Detail provided by the source: Times known to the minute
Reported to the source: Aug 25, 2026, 2:26 PM EDT
Published: Aug 25, 2026, 2:26 PM EDT
Source last updated: not given
Last retrieved by DirtyWaterWatch: 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC

What and how much

Type: Treatment bypass: wastewater skips one or more treatment steps.
Status in the record: Ended (as reported)
Material: “Partially Treated with Disinfection”
Volume: “10000 Gallons per Minute Estimated” (estimated)
Volume as reported: “10000 Gallons per Minute Estimated”

Advice from Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know)

This report includes no advice. Check current local health notices.

Advice period: This report does not state a period. See the rule DirtyWaterWatch applies and its source.
Basis: not stated

Status history from this report

Discharge or advisory reported Niagara River: Discharge reported ongoing, Aug 23, 2026, 5:51 AM EDT to Aug 23, 2026, 6:17 AM EDT
Caution Niagara River: Within the caution period after the reported end, Aug 23, 2026, 6:17 AM EDT to Aug 26, 2026, 6:17 AM EDT

Source: DirtyWaterWatch calculations using this report and the published status rules. Updated 2026-11-02 21:26 UTC.

Source and versions

Source: NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know
Source record number: 2695626164916007
Original notice: Read the original notice
Earlier version: Read the earlier version
Later versions: None

Record details

Record details
Record identifier	ny-dec-sprtk:2695626164916007
Source identifier	ny-dec-sprtk
Source record number	2695626164916007
Earlier version	ny-dec-sprtk:2693770739076576
Type	Treatment bypass
Status in the report	Ended (as reported)
Sewer operator identifier	ny-buffalo-sewer-authority
Sewer operator	Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island
Federal wastewater discharge permit (NPDES)	NY0028410
Outlet number	Not provided
Outlet name	Permitted outfall
Water named in the report	Niagara River
Linked waters	niagara-river-ny
How this report was linked to the water	the water named in the report
Latitude	42.919
Longitude	-78.904
Location source	given in the source record
Location accuracy, in metres	Not provided
Started	Aug 23, 2026, 5:51 AM EDT (2026-08-23T05:51:00-04:00)
Ended	Aug 23, 2026, 6:17 AM EDT (2026-08-23T06:17:00-04:00)
Detail provided by the source	to the minute
Reported to the source	Aug 25, 2026, 2:26 PM EDT (2026-08-25T14:26:46-04:00)
Published	Aug 25, 2026, 2:26 PM EDT (2026-08-25T14:26:46-04:00)
Source last updated	Not provided
Last retrieved by DirtyWaterWatch	Nov 2, 2026, 3:40 PM EST (2026-11-02T20:40:35Z)
Material	Partially Treated with Disinfection
Volume, in gallons	Not provided
Volume as reported	10000 Gallons per Minute Estimated
How volume was determined	estimated
Authority	Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know)
Advice	Not provided
Advice period, in hours	Not provided
Basis of the advice period	Not provided
Original notice	https://www.dec.ny.gov/fs/data/SPRTK_Data.xlsx

Original source data

{
  "row": {
    "notificationId": "2695626164916007",
    "sprtkAirDateTime": "08/25/2026 18:26:46",
    "notificationStatus": "Update",
    "facilityName": "Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island",
    "facilityId": "NY0028410",
    "countyName": "Erie",
    "streetNumber": "92",
    "streetName": "West Ferry St",
    "city": "Buffalo",
    "addressDescription": "At treatment plant",
    "latitude": "-78.9043",
    "longitude": "42.9194",
    "sprtkStartDischargeDatetime": "08/23/2026 09:51:00",
    "sprtkEndDischargeDatetime": "08/23/2026 10:17:00",
    "dischargeDuration": "26 Minutes - Ended",
    "surfaceWater": "Yes",
    "receivingWaterBody": "Niagara River",
    "componentDescription": "Permitted outfall",
    "quantity": "10000 Gallons per Minute Estimated",
    "treatedState": "Partially Treated with Disinfection",
    "stepsToContain": "Raw wastewater pump #2 kicked out again after getting restarted. Started back up and exited 01A discharge.",
    "geoaddress": "92 W Ferry St, Buffalo, NY 14213, USA",
    "impactedArea": "Drinking Water Intake,Fishing Area,Park - Unity Island, Town of Tonawanda and Erie Co Water Authority Intak",
    "dischargeReason": "Power Outage,Power Outage,Power Outage - Pump equipment failure",
    "systemComponent": "Pipe,Pipe,Pipe - Permitted outfall",
    "region": "9",
    "sprtkDischargeWaterFlow": "Manmade",
    "sprtkImpactAreaDesc": "Unity Island, Town of Tonawanda and Erie Co Water Authority Intak",
    "sprtkExplanation": "Pump equipment failure"
  },
  "_tab": "January 2026-August2026",
  "_row": 5268,
  "_time_basis": {
    "air": "UTC in the workbook (rows aired from late May 2025); converted to America/New_York",
    "start": "UTC in the workbook (rows aired from late May 2025); converted to America/New_York",
    "end": "UTC in the workbook (rows aired from late May 2025); converted to America/New_York"
  },
  "_coords": "latitude and longitude columns swapped; a street-address geocode chosen by the notifier",
  "_event_type_basis": "partially treated discharge (treated state)",
  "_water": {
    "via": "receiving water name within New York (checked against the geocode)"
  },
  "_volume_note": "a rate, not a volume",
  "_chain": {
    "id": "key:NY0028410|92 west ferry st buffalo|2026-08-23T09:51Z",
    "basis": "facility + address + start",
    "position": 2,
    "of": 2,
    "head": "ny-dec-sprtk:2693770739076576",
    "latest": "ny-dec-sprtk:2695626164916007",
    "notices": [
      {
        "id": "2693770739076576",
        "status": "New",
        "aired": "2026-08-25T14:09:56-04:00"
      },
      {
        "id": "2695626164916007",
        "status": "Update",
        "aired": "2026-08-25T14:26:46-04:00"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Staff names, email addresses and phone numbers are removed from source data before it is stored.