Sewer bills for Buffalo homes expected to increase slightly

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Sewer bills for Buffalo homes are expected to increase slightly as the Sewer Authority adopted its 2025 budget.

Buffalo homeowners will see increases based on the value of their home. The exact increase is 0.42 per 1,000, plus a $1 utility charge. You can see a breakdown below:

• $100,000 house: $3.50 + $1 fee = $4.50
• $150,000 house: $5.25 + $1 fee = $6.25
• $200,000 house: $7 + $1 fee = $8
• $250,000 house: $8.75 + $1 fee = $9.75

The new rate increase will help fund improvements needed to comply with EPA regulations aimed at reducing pollution on the Buffalo and Niagara Rivers, Cazenovia and Scajaquada Creeks, and the Black Rock Canal.

The Sewer Authority is in the midst of a five-year, $770 million investment program that will “continue to improve water quality, treatment facilities and reduce combined sewer overflows into our yards local water sources”.

“We recognize that an increase of any size can pose challenges for financially vulnerable families,” Buffalo Sewer General Manager OJ McFoy said in a news release Monday. “That’s why we’ve created programs that help support families in need. Buffalo Sewer’s success in securing federal and state funds and emphasis on affordability has allowed us to keep rates as low as possible for our customers.