A ten year project to improve the sewer system in the City of Tonawanda is at the half-way point.
Mayor Rick Davis said the price tag is hefty for a city of his size -- some $20 million. But he said the improvements were mandated by state environmental officials to stop rainwater from entering sanitary sewers.
Davis said early indications are that the improvements are working.
"We are showing a little less rainwater getting into our system," Davis said. "But we'll have to wait for five years from now, when the project is complete, to see how much it eliminates rainwater from infiltrating the sewers."
Where sewer pipes have collapsed, Davis said streets are excavated to make repairs. But for the most part, he said, the process is less invasive as a sealing resin is inserted inside pipes to prevent rain water from getting in.