The Latest: Board blames Niagara sewage spill on heavy rain

ALBANY, N.Y. – The Latest on sewage overflows below Niagara Falls (all times local):

2:55 p.m.

A public agency under scrutiny for a discharge that turned water below Niagara Falls black says heavy rain and outdated infrastructure is to blame for another spill that prompted a violation notice from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The board said Friday the Aug. 15 sewer overflow was immediately reported, as required by the Sewage Pollution Right To Know law.

On July 29, a discharge from a different part of the system at the treatment plant caused a smelly black plume to spread around the Maid of the Mist dock below the falls on the U.S. side of the river.

The board said it has committed over $1 million in the last several months to improve treatment facilities and has identified about $6.9 million for 2018 system upgrades.

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11:10 a.m.

New York officials say a water board under scrutiny for a discharge that turned the water below Niagara Falls black and smelly violated quality standards for another discharge 17 days later.

The Department of Environmental Conservation said Friday that it cited the Niagara Falls Water Board for the Aug. 15 discharge known as a combined sewer overflow.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos tells The Associated Press the sewage discharge of more than 3.3 million gallons turned the water of the Niagara River “a very murky grey.”

On July 29, a daytime discharge from a different part of the system at the treatment plant caused a black plume to spread around the Maid of the Mist dock below the falls on the U.S. side of the river.

The DEC is investigating.