City of Oswego to Invest $97m in Sewerage Upgrade

The City of Oswego in the state of New York, US, will invest $87m to upgrade its sewer system to comply with the Clean Water Act.

According to the Justice Department and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the city will undertake a comprehensive, system-wide programme to treat sewerage under a settlement lodged in the federal court in Syracuse, New York.

As per the settlement, Oswego will also pay a penalty of $99,000 to resolve pollution claims by the US and the City of New York against Oswego.

The west-side sewer system transports the city’s sewage to a wastewater treatment plant before releasing it into Lake Ontario.

Heavy rainfall or snowmelts often lead to overflowing sewers, resulting in the discharge of contaminated stormwater and untreated human and industrial waste to local waterways.

EPA regional administrator Judith Enck said this legal agreement will significantly reduce raw sewage discharges into Lake Ontario and the Oswego River.