city water and wastewater department

In an ongoing effort to obtain information from city residents about water pipe materials, city officials have issued an open letter asking for assistance. Below is the letter from city Water and Wastewater Superintendent Tom Phelps:

Dear Residents of Batavia, 

The City of Batavia is reaching out to request your assistance in an important initiative to ensure the safety and health of our community.

We need your help to identify and replace pipes within our water system, specifically the buried service lines that connect the water mains in the streets to your homes. Regardless of the material your pipe is made of, it is crucial for us to gather this information to protect public health.

In the coming days, you will receive a letter from the City of Batavia Water Department regarding Home Lead Line Testing. We kindly ask that you take a few moments to complete the steps outlined in the letter and report the type of pipe that brings water into your home. Your timely response will greatly assist us in expediting the inventory process of the pipes within our city’s water system.

Additionally, some residents will receive a separate letter from our partner, ElectroScan. Their field crews will need to enter select homes to conduct a survey using a hand-held scanner at the water meter. This survey is expected to take about an hour, during which your water will be temporarily shut off, and your pipes will be flushed before service is restored. Please note that this service is provided free of charge, and no digging will be required. We encourage you to schedule the survey as soon as possible upon receiving the notification.

As part of a nationwide initiative mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all water systems in the country are required to complete an inventory of drinking water pipes from the mains to residences. The goal is to identify and ultimately eliminate any water service laterals containing lead. 

For any questions or additional information, please visit our website at https://www.batavianewyork.com/department-of-public-works/pages/lead-service or contact us via email at leadservice@batavianewyork.com. 

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to keeping Batavia a safe and healthy place to live.

Press Release:

A letter from Superintendent Water and Wastewater, Michael Ficarella:

The City of Batavia Water Department is repairing a water main break at the intersection of Liberty Street and Ellicott Street. Expect the water to be shut off on Ellicott Street, from Liberty Street to Jackson Street. There is the potential that the water may need to be shut off on Liberty Street, from Ellicott Street heading north to Main Street.

The length of time the water will be off is unknown.

Traffic will not be able to pass through the Ellicott Street intersection coming off of Liberty Street in both directions while the repairs are being made.

As always, when the water is restored it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.

The public’s patience is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Michael Ficarella
Superintendent Water and Wastewater

From Bill Davis, city superintendent of Water and Wastewater:

The City of Batavia has contracted a water service replacement project on Swan, Hutchins and Otis streets starting on Monday May 3. This will run until approximately July 15.

During the project, these streets will open to local traffic only from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. and will have parking restrictions that will vary day to day. Temporary "No Parking" signs will be posted in the areas affected each day.

The contractors will do their best to keep driveways open and traffic flowing.

Residents in the area will be notified ahead of time if the contractor will redo their water service, so they can make arrangements as needed.

We appreciate the patience and cooperation from the residents in the area.