ALBANY, N.Y. — A public 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, state officials said Friday.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation said it cited the Niagara Falls Water Board for the Aug. 15 discharge caused by a sewer overflow. Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said the sewage discharge of more than 3.3 million gallons turned the water of the Niagara River “a very murky gray.”
The board said in a statement that the overflow resulted from heavy rain that overwhelmed outdated infrastructure and that it was reported promptly as required under state law.
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 dock for Maid of the Mist tourist boats, below the falls on the U.S. side of the river.