The City of Rensselaer residents and businesses are served by approximately 80 miles of sewer lines. The sewer system, portions of which were first constructed over 100 years ago, collects and pumps waste water (sewage) to the Rensselaer County sewer treatment plant, where it is treated and released into the Hudson River.
The cost of maintaining this system is increasing due to aging equipment and stricter regulations. The pipes and pump stations that collect and transport sewage are getting older and some have reached the end of their useful life. If the system is not properly maintained and replaced when necessary, old sewer lines will break and release raw sewage into our rivers and streams, and even into homes and businesses. At the same time, increasingly stringent State and Federal environmental rules to protect the Hudson River require regular updates to the system to avoid penalties and fines.
The sewer maintenance fee on your water bill will allow the City to properly maintain our aging system and to make the improvements necessary to comply with the State and Federal regulations that protect the Hudson River and other critical bodies of water.