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New York / Waters /

Buffalo River

River in New York, past Buffalo and Winchester

Current status

No current status shown

No current status is assigned to this water outline. Check the water page for reports and any estimated downstream stretches. Why this status, and its source

This badge describes the water outline. Check the downstream stretches on the map and below for discharge statuses.

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.

Square boat markers mark boat launches listed by OpenBoatLaunch.

Get alerts from Town of Cheektowaga sanitary sewers · Bookmark this water page and check it before each trip · Report a missing notice or error

About this status

Why this status: No current status: no report we track sets a status on this water outline now.

How long each status lasts, and why

Sources checked: NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know (last successful check 2026-11-02 21:20 UTC). Status by DirtyWaterWatch, updated 2026-11-02 21:26 UTC.

No status does not mean the water is safe. Follow posted signs and local health advice.

Updated .

Estimated downstream stretches on Buffalo River

No downstream stretch has a current status here as of Nov 2, 2026, 4:26 PM EST. Check the reports below.

The last 90 days

Last 90 days, hour by hour. Red: discharge or advisory reported. Amber: caution. Hatched amber: end not confirmed. Grey: no current status on the water outline. Purple hatching: source update overdue.

Source: DirtyWaterWatch calculations using the reports named above and the published status rules. Updated 2026-11-02 21:26 UTC.

Reported discharges over time

  • Discharges affecting the Buffalo River in New York, last 12 months7070 affecting this stretch: 70 reported in New York, none arriving from upstreamDecember 2025 to November 2026Verified reports where available, else notices; revisions and duplicates counted once. Arriving discharges are estimated from modeled downstream reaches.
  • Days with a discharge affecting the Buffalo River in New York, last 12 months48Reported on the Buffalo River in New York: 48 · Arriving from outfalls upstream, estimated: 0December 2025 to November 2026A day counts once however many discharges were under way on it. Verified reports where available, else notices; revisions and duplicates counted once.
  • Hours with a discharge or advisory status on the Buffalo River in New York, last 12 months4,399Reported on the Buffalo River in New York: 4,399 · Arriving from outfalls upstream, estimated: 0December 2025 to November 2026Red hours by the map's rules: each discharge to its reported end plus the state's post-discharge period; overlapping hours count once.
  • 2026 season with a discharge or advisory status on the Buffalo River in New York53%May to October 2026Share of May 1 to October 31 hours with red status by the map's rules, of the hours a source covered.
  • Records behind the last-90-days strip for the Buffalo River in New York7Reported on the Buffalo River in New York: 7 · Arriving from outfalls upstream, estimated: 0last 90 daysEvery distinct record the strip lists for its red, yellow and unresolved hours, notices and unresolved reports included; counted as the strip counts them.

Combined sewer overflow (CSO): sewage mixed with rainwater spills from a shared sewer system. Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO): sewage spills from a sewer meant to carry sewage separately from rainwater. Treatment bypass: wastewater skips one or more treatment steps. Blended discharge: wastewater that skipped some treatment is mixed with treated wastewater. Outfall: a pipe or outlet where wastewater enters a water body.

Reported discharges per month

75 reported discharges, January 2022 to November 2026.

  • Combined sewer overflow
  • Sanitary sewer overflow
  • Treatment bypass, blended or other

Source: ny-dec-sprtk. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 2, 2026.

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Hours with a discharge or advisory status per month

Hours when this water had a discharge or advisory status under DirtyWaterWatch rules.

  • Discharge or advisory reported

Source: ny-dec-sprtk. Records cover August 11, 2021 to November 2, 2026.

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Days with a reported discharge per month

A day counts when any counted discharge was under way on it, from its start to its reported end in Eastern Time; a report with no end counts its start day.

Source: ny-dec-sprtk. Records cover January 1, 2022 to November 2, 2026.

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Reported discharges per year, 2021 to 2026

75 reported discharges, 2021 to 2026.

  • Combined sewer overflow
  • Sanitary sewer overflow
  • Treatment bypass, blended or other
  • Incomplete source coverage
Limited records

Source: ny-dec-sprtk. Records cover August 11, 2021 to November 2, 2026.

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Reported volume per year

Gallons (axis: K thousand, M million), summed from the 50 reports that gave a volume as a number (25 did not).

  • Incomplete source coverage
Limited records

25 of 75 discharge reports gave no volume as a number; only numbers are summed. 2 reports give more than 5 billion gallons for a single discharge, which looks like an entry error; they are not summed.

Source: ny-dec-sprtk. Records cover August 11, 2021 to November 2, 2026.

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Hours with a discharge or advisory status per year

Hours with a discharge or advisory status each year under DirtyWaterWatch rules; 2026 to date.

  • Discharge or advisory reported
  • Incomplete source coverage
Limited records

Source: ny-dec-sprtk. Records cover August 11, 2021 to November 2, 2026.

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Share of the May to October season with a discharge or advisory status

Share of the hours from May 1 to October 31 with a discharge or advisory status under DirtyWaterWatch rules.

  • Discharge or advisory reported
  • Season with incomplete source coverage

Seasons with incomplete source coverage: 2021. The share is of the hours a source covered.

Source: ny-dec-sprtk. Records cover August 11, 2021 to November 2, 2026.

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Reported discharges by calendar month, all years

Every counted discharge report, by the calendar month it began.

Months are summed over every year a tracked source covers; the table gives the number of years behind each month.

Source: ny-dec-sprtk. Records cover August 11, 2021 to November 2, 2026.

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Reported discharges by wastewater outlet

Wastewater outlets with the most tracked discharge records: 10 of 12, all years. Counts depend on reporting coverage and do not measure legal compliance or harm.

Source: ny-dec-sprtk. Records cover August 11, 2021 to November 2, 2026.

Show table
How these charts are counted

We count each discharge once. Where a source publishes notices and confirmed reports, we use confirmed reports for an operator's month when available; otherwise we use notices. We combine revisions and exclude duplicate state reports copied by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Monthly and yearly totals appear separately. Status hours follow this site's rules. Shaded gaps mean missing coverage, not zero discharges.

  • ny-dec-sprtk: records from August 11, 2021 to the latest update

Reports linked to Buffalo River

Reports linked to Buffalo River, newest first
StartEnd Sewer operator OutletTypeVolumeSourceLinks
Aug 31, 2026, 10:15 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2713733746954542, reported Aug 31, 2026, 10:18 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Aug 23, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 Not provided Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2700196010094066, reported Aug 23, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Aug 8, 2026, 8:54 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island Outfall in river wall at extension of Buffalo Sewer Authority owned lot 1388 South Park Combined sewer overflow (CSO) 1.42 million gallons Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2666248588589962, reported Aug 8, 2026, 10:13 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Aug 8, 2026, 8:12 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 Not provided Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2666523466493291, reported Aug 8, 2026, 8:18 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Aug 2, 2026, 10:54 PM EDT ongoing (as reported) Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island Outfall in river wall at extension of Buffalo Sewer Authority owned lot 1388 South Park Combined sewer overflow (CSO) 890,000 gallons Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2655390911260107, reported Aug 3, 2026, 2:01 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Aug 2, 2026, 10:14 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2652607772426952, reported Aug 2, 2026, 10:17 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Jul 21, 2026, 6:18 PM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2623161476764309, reported Jul 21, 2026, 6:20 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Jul 3, 2026, 10:46 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2593474662828568, reported Jul 3, 2026, 10:49 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Jun 25, 2026, 11:22 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2593474662646140, reported Jun 25, 2026, 11:23 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Jun 18, 2026, 6:42 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 Regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2584506770943899, reported Jun 19, 2026, 4:22 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Jun 18, 2026, 6:42 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 Regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO)Earlier version 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2560695472517359, reported Jun 18, 2026, 6:43 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Jun 18, 2026, 3:54 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island Outfall in river wall at extension of Buffalo Sewer Authority owned lot 1388 South Park Combined sewer overflow (CSO) 2.94 million gallons Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2560523673853555, reported Jun 18, 2026, 4:29 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Jun 14, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT ongoing (as reported) Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island Outfall in river wall at extension of Buffalo Sewer Authority owned lot 1388 South Park Combined sewer overflow (CSO) “1625 Gallons per Minute Estimated” Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2560695472430984, reported Jun 14, 2026, 4:46 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Jun 9, 2026, 6:50 PM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2560489313936037, reported Jun 9, 2026, 6:52 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
Jun 6, 2026, 7:16 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2560558033304278, reported Jun 6, 2026, 7:18 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
May 24, 2026, 8:13 PM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2527607044277234, reported May 25, 2026, 10:58 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
May 24, 2026, 8:13 PM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO)Earlier version 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2527572684522454, reported May 24, 2026, 8:16 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
May 23, 2026, 11:54 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island Outfall in river wall at extension of Buffalo Sewer Authority owned lot 1388 South Park Combined sewer overflow (CSO) 2 million gallons Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2527400885793549, reported May 23, 2026, 12:14 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
May 23, 2026, 10:42 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 Regulated Overflow to Bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2527572684515020, reported May 24, 2026, 11:18 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
May 23, 2026, 10:42 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 Regulated Overflow to Bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO)Earlier version 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2527607044235661, reported May 23, 2026, 10:44 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
May 19, 2026, 10:54 PM EDT ongoing (as reported) Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island Outfall in river wall at extension of Buffalo Sewer Authority owned lot 1388 South Park Combined sewer overflow (CSO) 130,000 gallons Buffalo Sewer Authority -Bird Island (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2524617746966856, reported May 19, 2026, 11:19 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
May 19, 2026, 9:52 PM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 REGULATED OVERFLOW TO BYPASS Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2520116621238698, reported May 19, 2026, 9:55 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
May 16, 2026, 4:17 PM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated OVERFLOW TO BYPASS Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2507231719414697, reported May 16, 2026, 4:19 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
May 13, 2026, 7:32 AM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 Not provided Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2507197359598846, reported May 13, 2026, 10:54 AM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice
May 9, 2026, 8:04 PM EDT ongoing (as reported) Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 regulated overflow to bypass Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) 1 million gallons Cheektowaga Sanitary Sewer Plant #3 (NY DEC Sewage Pollution Right to Know), record 2503074191035074, reported May 9, 2026, 8:07 PM EDT, retrieved 2026-11-02 20:40 UTC · Read the original notice

Showing the latest 25 records of 114 records. See them all with filters.

All reports in New York by year: 2026 (109 here) · 2025 (5 here)

Wastewater outlets on this water

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

No wastewater outlet in our records is linked to this water.

Sewer operators listed for this water: Town of Cheektowaga sanitary sewers, Buffalo Sewer Authority (BSA) Bird Island WWTP.

Boat launches

Source: OpenBoatLaunch launch records (public agency data and OpenStreetMap, Open Database License). · Buffalo River on OpenBoatLaunch

Nearby waters

Sources covering this water

114 records linked to this water. Updated .