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Government of Erie County, New York

Our mission is to provide cost effective, customer oriented, environmentally conscious wastewater service that protects public health and enhances our natural environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes backups?

Anything from grease build-up, heavy rains, broken or collapsed pipe, and tree roots that have grown through old pipes.

What should I do when a back-up occurs?

A call to your district would be the best place to start, they can tell you if it is a homeowner’s problem or one that can be fixed by the County.

What is wastewater treatment?

A step by step filtration process that turns wastewater into clean water.

What new technology is being utilized by the DSM?

GPS
The DSM recently started utilizing global positioning technology to map all manholes in the County that it maintains. The GPS coordinates collected are used to create accurate maps and flow models of the sewer systems and enable maintenance crews to find manholes even after the heaviest of snow storms.

How can I properly dispose of grease, paint, etc?

Grease should be cooled to room temperature and placed in the garbage, if grease is poured down the drain it will harden and accumulate in the lateral pipe and main pipe causing sewer back ups to you and your neighborhood.

Most towns and villages have web sites that tell you where and when to take your hazardous wastes. Also, Erie County conducts several hazardous waste drop-off events a year, location and dates are listed at the Environmental Compliance site, a link can be found on our Home page.

Who pays sanitary sewer tax?

All properties that are located within the sewer district boundary pay sewer tax. There is a three part benefit formula applied to try to be as fair as possible to all properties. These components on the benefit formula include:

  1. An assessed value charge in which all properties within a sewer district pay.
  2. A footage charge in which all properties that are accessible to the sewer line pay.
  3. A unit charge in which all properties that have buildings that are accessible to the sewer pay. In addition, non-residential properties may also be assessed a flow charge based on water consumption.

(Formulas may vary slightly from district to district)