Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to evaluate the Authority’s control program for trucked-in waste for the period July 1, 2015 through November 7, 2016.

Background

The Buffalo Sewer Authority is a public benefit corporation created under the New York State Public Authorities Law. The Authority, which is governed by a five-member Authority Board appointed by the Mayor of the City of Buffalo, provides sewer services for approximately 106,000 residential and commercial customers in the City and certain neighboring communities. Budgeted appropriations for the 2016-17 fiscal year totaled $54 million.

Key Findings

• IWS personnel do not measure or verify the amount of liquid/slush waste trucked-in for treatment and disposal.
• The Administrator has not periodically sampled and conducted all required analytical data tests to ensure waste discharge complies with discharge limitations.

Key Recommendations

• Ensure liquid/slush trucked-in waste is accurately measured and billed properly.
• Evaluate the Authority’s discharge permit procedures and ensure the Authority does not pay for periodic waste sampling that could be paid for by haulers.