Sanitary Sewer Department
Sanitary sewers and Storm sewers are two completely separate systems The sewer department operates and maintains the sanitary sewers only
The storm sewers are operated and maintained by the Cheektowaga Highway Department
Street flooding, surface water, groundwater, curb drains, bubbler issues and poor drainage are all examples of Storm sewer related concerns. All calls and questions regarding these concerns should be directed to the Highway Department.
Sanitary sewers take your waste water such as toilets, showers, washing machines, dishwashers etc. via a lateral pipe from your house to the main sanitary sewer line on your street. The town is responsible for maintaining the main sewer line only. The homeowner or resident is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the lateral pipe from the house to the main sewer line.
Climate change has greatly changed the weather patterns thus leading to more frequent extreme weather and rain events. We have been getting record rain falls in very short amounts of time. In some cases during these heavy rain events the sewer lines can surcharge due to inflow and infiltration. The Town is actively addressing these concerns. As a homeowner there are several backflow prevention options that can be utilized to help minimize any backwater or backups into their homes. There are Sewer check valves, Manual gate valves, and Automatic flood gate valves that can be installed by a licensed plumber. There would be an initial expense by the homeowner but it would help save from costly backups in the future. Additionally you can cap your basement floor drains as well as talk to your plumber about adding a sump pump if you do not already have one.
Cheektowaga’s 263 miles of sanitary sewer system consists of gravity pipes (trunk lines and main lines) and forced mains. Town of Cheektowaga also has 9 lift stations and one main pumping station, The Town of Cheektowaga maintains this sewer system through flushing, root cutting and televising of these lines on a daily basis. The Sewer Department is also involved in a program of removing inflow and infiltration of clear water into our system. To learn more about this issue, go to the Inflow & Infiltration page of our website.
To submit a concern related to your Sanitary Sewer, please complete and submit the form below. We will follow-up with you on the next business day. If this is an emergency, contact a plumber(click here).