Genesee County Water Supply Project

Current Threats

City of Batavia Water Treatment Plant (WTP), which supplies 50% of the water to County residents, is susceptible to low groundwater conditions caused by drought and surface water contamination by flooding;
The wellfield that supplies the City of Batavia WTP is threatened by contamination from an abandoned landfill and industrial site. Contaminates include Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFAS) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS);
Genesee County has been under emergency water restrictions for the past four years;
Based on the County’s latest projections, there will be a water deficit of approximately 2.1 million gallons per day this summer during peak demand periods.
There is no additional water supply to support economic development and expansion.

Objectives

Resiliency

Replace the aging and jeopardized City of Batavia WTP with a regional supply network;
Diversify the County’s water supplies with Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA) Great Lakes-sourced water which includes water purchased from the Erie County Water Authority;
Provide public water to rural residents that currently have unreliable, contaminated and unsafe wells.

Capacity

Increase water supply throughout the County for residential use;
Provide water for economic development and support key regional industry priority pillars such as food processing and agribusiness.

Phased Work

Phase 1

Regionalized water supply with a 2.5 million gallon per day (MGD) supply from the Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA);
Completed in 2001 for $30 million;
Genesee County took over the City of Batavia WTP and used revenue from operations and a $0.60 per 1,000-gallon water surcharge on usage to fund Phase 1.

Phase 2

Original plans for the Genesee County Water Supply Program Phase 2 envisioned a project in 2010 that would have increased water supply from the MCWA to 10 MGD and allowed for the abandonment of the City of Batavia WTP current operations, but global events and economic impacts did not allow it to be initiated.

The new phase 2 is currently under construction for $30 million;
The phase will supply an additional 2.5 MGD from MCWA sources to stay ahead of growing water demands;
Funded by an increase of the water surcharge to $1.20 per 1,000 gallons.
Estimated Completion Date: December 2026

Phase 2 Projects

Vallance Road Water Main
Installation of approximately 20,000 linear feet of 16”, 18”, and 36” transmission mains along Vallance Road and North Road in the Town of LeRoy.
Completed in 2021
Capacity = Capable of conveying up to 15 MGD
Chestnut Ridge Water Main
Installation of approximately 6,450 linear feet of 36” ductile iron water main.
Completed in 2021
Capacity = Capable of conveying up to 16 MGD
Mumford Pump Station (New)
Construction of the new pump station in the Town of Wheatland was completed in 2021.
Station Capacity = 350,000 GPD
Churchville Pump Station (New)
Construction of the new pump station in the Town of Riga was completed in 2021.
Station Capacity = 1.0 MGD
Golden Road Pump Station (New)
Construction of a new pump station in the Town of Chili was completed in 2025.
Station Capacity = 8.0 MGD
Scottsville Pump Station (Upgrades)
Upgrades to this existing station located in the Town of Wheatland will increase the maximum capacity to 1.6 MGD.
Estimated Completion Date: April 2026
Morgan Road Pump Station (Upgrades)
Upgrades to this existing station located in the Town of Chili will increase the pumping capacity to 5.0 MGD.
Estimated Completion Date: June 2026
Riga Pump Station (Upgrades)
Upgrades to this existing station located in the Town of Riga will increase the pumping capacity to 4.9 MGD.
Estimated Completion Date: June 2026
North Road Pump Station (Upgrades)
Upgrades to this existing station located in the Town of LeRoy will increase the total capacity by approximately 2.0 MGD.
Estimated Completion Date: December 2026

Phase 3

Need to eliminate water shortages and allow for the repurposing of the vulnerable City of Batavia WTP.
Closing the City of Batavia WTP will involve a Source-Supply Change for the City of Batavia.
To comply with Lead and Copper Corrosion Rule revisions, the City of Batavia will need to comply with the EPA’s requirements for lead service line identification, removals, and meter changes.
Without a Phase 3 project, Genesee County will continue to experience water shortages during peak summer months, weaken residents’ quality of life, and hinder future economic development.
Led by Arcadis, the Master Plan Report (MPR) and the Basis of Design Report (BODR) are both currently in progress:
- MPR Completion Date: April 2026
- BODR Completion Date: December 2026
All water infrastructure improvement projects will be phased to meet the 5-year, 10-year, and +25-year projected demands.
Estimated Completion Date: 2037 (Batavia WTP Decommissioning). Additional upgrades will follow to meet the estimated +25-year demands.

Water Supply Source Change

Genesee County partnered with Arcadis in 2023 to perform a source-supply change study to evaluate the effects on areas of blended water in the central region of Genesee County to be transitioned to 100% Monroe County Water Authority sourced water from Lake Ontario. Arcadis is currently leading a Source Water Change Evaluation to understand the current water quality conditions in critical areas relating to corrosion control treatment (CCT) and the proposed change from a groundwater source to surface water.
The scope of the study includes the following:
- 8-month water sampling period occurred from July 2024 – February 2025. (Completed)
- Water quality sampling report. (Completed)
- Coordination with the City of Batavia’s lead service line replacement program.
- Demonstrative CCT analysis (pipe rig) if required.
- Future blending study prior to decommissioning of the Batavia WTP.

For more information

Laura Wadhams, P.E.
Commissioner, Genesee County Department of Public Works
153 Cedar Street Batavia, NY 14020
(585) 344-8508
Laura.Wadhams@geneseeny.gov