Water and Sewer Department

The Niagara County Water District and the Town of Niagara routinely monitor for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. It’s important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

As the state regulations require, your water is tested for inorganic contaminants, nitrate, lead and copper, volatile organic contaminants, synthetic organic contaminants and total trihalomethanes. Additionally, your water is tested for coliform bacteria four times a month.

Will the Town give an adjustment for sewer on water that does not go into the Sewer (Swimming Pools, Gardening, Car Washing)?

No. It is the policy of the Town of Niagara Water and Sewer Department that all sewer charges are based on measured water usage. There will be no adjustments.

Call the Water Billing Department at (716) 297-2150 ext 120 or ext 123

Before moving out/sell: Call to schedule an appointment for a final water reading.

Before move in:

1. Call to update the name and phone number on the account.

2. Call to make sure the previous tenants/owners have paid the final water bill.  The account balance stays with the property, not the previous occupants.

Although our system has an adequate amount of water to meet present and future demands, there are a number of reasons why it is important to conserve water:

• Saving water saves energy and some of the costs associated with both of these necessities of life;
• Saving water reduces the cost of energy required to pump water and the need to construct costly new wells, pumping systems and water towers; and
• Saving water lessens the strain on the water system during a dry spell or drought, helping to avoid severe water use restrictions so that essential fire fighting needs are met.
• You can play a role in conserving water and saving yourself money in the process by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household is using, and by looking for ways to use less whenever you can. It is not hard to conserve water. Conservation tips:
• Automatic dishwashers use 15 gallons for every cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded. So get a run for your money and load it to capacity.
• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
• Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it up and you can save almost 6,000 gallons per year.
• Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank, watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from these otherwise invisible toilet leaks. Fix it and you save more than 30,000 gallons a year.
• Use your water meter to detect hidden leaks. Simply turn off all taps and water using appliances. Then check the meter after 15 minutes, if it moved, you have a leak.

A Water & Sewer Inspection (by Town of Niagara Water & Sewer Department) is mandatory for ALL sales and/or transfers of property within the Town of Niagara.  A letter of request from the seller’s attorney, to schedule the inspection, is required.

The fees are: $50.00 – Water Compilance Inspection; $50.00 – Sewer Compliance Inspection; both are required to be paid in advance to the Town of Niagara Water/Sewer Department.  An Account Search letter, is not required but recommended at a cost of $50.00.  These fees may be subject to change in the future by Town Board Resolution.

*Commerical Property Sales/Transfers, a compliance also includes having a testable backflow preventer installed and tested within the calendar year.  Please see commercial property sales/transfers change of tenant section.

*Residential property sales/transfers, water compliance requires a non-testable backflow preventer installed with a paid water backflow permit with inspection.

A submittal process is required for all testable backflows thru the Town and Niagara County Health Dept (if building is grandfathered with a non-testable backflow it will have to be upgraded to a testable thru the submittal process). 

In line testable backflows are required for all commercial properties when the following happen:  

-A water/sewer compliance is requested*

-Water work/water remodel

-Water or Sewer permits required

-New build

-Change of owner or tenant, or transfer of property

-If a building is to be sold or change of tenant and there is a testable backflow installed it will have to be current for the calendar year with a passed test prior to sale or change of tenant.

-All testable backflows are required to be tested at least once per calendar year and/or at the time of sale or tenant change with a copy of the passed test forwarded to the Town of Niagara Water Dept.

-If a testable backflow is replaced (same style model, size and make) a water backflow permit is required with an inspection and it must be tested by a NYS certified backflow tester registered with the Town of Niagara Water Dept.  If the device is replaced with a different style model it will have to go thru the backflow sumittal process.  (ONLY RPZ style testable backflows are allowed in the Town of Niagara).

*All properties in the Town of Niagara that are sold or transferred are required to have water and sewer compliances done.

Please contact the Niagara County Sheriff at (716) 438-3393 and they will contact us.