Ononedaga County Water Authority (OCWA)

The Onondaga County Water Authority is pleased to present our Annual Water Quality Report and Consumer Confidence Report for the year ending December 31, 2017. This document contains valuable information about OCWA and general water quality facts. In addition to mailing notices about report availability, we continue our tradition of providing copies to local libraries and publicizing through local media outlets.

2017 was a transformative year for our operations due to the integration of Onondaga County's Metropolitan Water Board (MWB) Lake Ontario system. On January 1, 2017, OCWA welcomed 31 new employees and assumed full operational responsibility for the 60 million gallon per day Lake Ontario water treatment plant that serves over half of our customer base. This consolidation included 124 miles of transmission mains (24-inch to 60-inch), seven pumping stations, and thirteen storage tanks with 117.25 million gallon capacity.

We also took over the MWB's CARE energy efficiency project, which involves replacing major pumps and generators at the Lake Ontario intake facility, water treatment plant, and Eastern Reservoir pumping station in Manlius. Nine large pumps and motors reaching end-of-life are being upgraded with more energy-efficient equipment.

By late January 2017, our combined team successfully converted all Lake Ontario facilities to OCWA's digital control system. Through voluntary staffing reductions, we streamlined operations with eight fewer employees by March 2017, consolidating from two control centers to one. The merger created an enhanced maintenance division with complementary skills from both organizations.

Our engineering team secured NYS Health Department grants for upgrading the Marcellus water treatment plant's fluoride system (completed early 2018) and a similar project at the Lake Ontario plant starting in 2018. Together, these grants save ratepayers $1.4 million on essential facility improvements.

Additional 2017 capital projects included replacing over 20,000 feet of aging water mains, 91 isolation valves, and 72 hydrants systemwide. We completed the Milton Avenue/Bridge Street water main replacement in Solvay and Geddes as part of a community streetscape initiative. We also rehabilitated water storage tanks in Camillus, McConnelsville, and Onondaga, plus performed coating life extension work on tanks in North Syracuse, Brewerton, and DeWitt. A state-of-the-art meter testing facility was constructed at our Salina headquarters.

OCWA actively supported Syracuse Water Division and Onondaga County during the cyanobacteria (algae) bloom affecting Skaneateles Lake in fall 2017. Following Flint, Michigan's lead issues, we initiated a project to identify any lead services in our system, surveying residential customers and documenting service line materials encountered during routine maintenance.

Looking ahead to 2018, our capital improvement program includes planning a major upgrade to the 53-year-old Lake Ontario Water Treatment Plant and converting from chlorine gas to safer sodium hypochlorite disinfection. We'll replace the Oakridge storage tank in Camillus, continue rehabilitating distribution storage facilities, and design replacements for three additional water tanks. Approximately 25,000 feet of water main replacements are planned alongside scheduled valve and hydrant upgrades.

For additional information about the OCWA water system, please review this report or contact our Water Systems Chemist Ken Beckering at 315-455-7061, extension 3141.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Utilities Questions

• Why are my sewer charges so high?
• Why is my water bill elevated compared to previous months?
• Could my water meter be malfunctioning or misread?
• Am I eligible for credits for toilet or faucet leaks?
• How is water consumption measured and what do usage figures mean?
• Is my current bill based on estimates or actual readings?
• Why must I pay sewer charges for pool filling or when experiencing leaks?
• How can my bill remain identical for multiple consecutive months?
• Why isn't billing done quarterly instead of monthly?
• Does OCWA add fluoride to the municipal water supply?
• What's the process for establishing new water service?
• Does the city participate in electric or natural gas aggregation programs?
• As a new resident, where do I register for utility services?

Public Services Information

• Who handles ambulance billing inquiries?
• Are there restrictions on open burning within city limits?
• Where can citizenship applications be submitted?
• What office issues business and vendor licenses?
• Where are birth/death certificates obtained?
• Which department handles dog licensing?
• What's the process for obtaining/renewing driver's licenses?

For answers to these questions and more information about your water service, please contact OCWA customer service at 315-455-7061.