About Your Water

About Your Water System

The City of Batavia water system, ID#1800544, is operated under the direction of the Superintendent of Water & Sewer. Our offices are located at One Batavia City Centre in Batavia City Hall. The phone number is (585) 345-6315. We are under the jurisdiction of the Genesee County Department of Health ar County Building #2, located at 3837 West Main Street Road, Batavia, New York. The phone number is (585) 344-8506.

The City of Batavia has been processing its own water at the Water Filtration Plant located at 480 Lehigh Avenue plant since 1917. Much of the original structure is still standing, although modifications have been made through the years. Between 1968 and 1971 renovations were completed to raise the plan capacity from three million gallons per day (M.G.D.) to Six M.G.D. Six new filters were added along with another precipitator unit. A total of three million gallons of finished drinking water, which is one days average consumption, can be held in our two elevated storage tanks. One tank is located behind on East Main Street Road behind the NYSDOT building and the other is beside the V.A. Hospital. These towers maintain a steady water pressure of between 60 to 80 pounds throughout the City and Town.

Where Does Your Water Come From

Batavia use two sources of water. Two wells located at Cedar Street provide for most of our water needs. This water is from the Tonawanda Valley Water Shed, one of the largest underground bodies of water in the state. Our well water is exceptionally clear with an average turbity of less than 0.05 N.T.U. Our tests have detected no bacteria or chemical contamination in our untreated (raw) well water. However, these wells produce a hard water containing dissolved minerals and requires softening to bring it to the condition most residents find acceptable. Two supplementary wells have been developed in the well field; these await pump systems to begin operation. The Tonawanda Creek is our other source of water. While the creek has provided the treatment plant with an adequate quantity and quality of water for over eighty years, it is a surface water source and is therefore susceptive to rapid changes in quality. Levels of turbidity from runoff may quickly increase making the creek water less cost effective to process. Creek water is used to supplement our wells and as a backup water supply.

The City processed a total of 1.1 billion gallons of water in 1999. We serve a city population of 16,310 and supply water to about 5,800 city customers. We sold a total of 1 billion gallons of water in 1999. A total of 873 million gallons of water in the city and 137 million gallons were sold to the town. A total of 114 million gallons of water (or 10%) were not metered. This was from water hydrants, water used for city maintenance, used in parks, or water lost in leaks and breaks.

How Do We Treat Your Water

Batavia's well water is very clear and requires little treatment other than softening. Raw or untreated water from an intake pipe in the Tonawanda Creek enters the water plant through mechanical screens. These screens prevent creek debris from getting into the plant. Activated carbon can be added here if there is a taste or odor problem. From the screens, creek water is mixed with well water in the Flash Mixers where water treatment chemicals are added.

Chemicals used in the water plant are ferric sulfate, calcium oxide, chlorine, polyphosphate, fluoride, and occasionally activated carbon . Ferrice sulfated is added as a coagulant. THis chemical neutralizes the charges on particles suspended in the water and thus allows them to clump together and drop out. Calcium oxide, also called Lime is added to raw water to soften it. Batavia is one of the few water plants in the state that Lime softens its water. Adding lime causes calcium, magnesium and other compounds to begin to precipitate or prop out of the water. Soft water cleans better and uses less soap to wash effectively. This type of water softening will no add sodium to the water as can some other types of water treatment. This extra process is one reason Batavia can produce exceptionally clear water.

For a complete copy of the Annual Drinking Water Quality Report contact the Bureau of Water and Sewer.