Sewer District

Sewer Board Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.

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Sewer District Functions

The primary function of the Rensselaer County Sewer District is to protect the Hudson River by providing secondary treatment to the wastewater before it is discharged. Secondary treatment involves removal of 85% of both the Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen 5-Day Demand and Total Suspended Solids from the influent wastewater. 

Our secondary function is to generate revenue by individually billing all users (residential, commercial and industrial) of the District's services. The revenue is used to pay for annual operation and maintenance costs of outstanding debt service. The Sewer District's facilities were constructed in the mid 70's and began operation in 1976.

Water Source & Wastewater

A major source of wastewater comes from individual homes. All water used in a home that enters the drain becomes wastewater and requires secondary treatment. The wastewater enters each individual community's sewer system before entering RCSD's system of interceptor sewers, pumping stations and force mains which transport the wastewater to the Treatment Plant.

The wastewater treatment plant operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Our facility provides an important environmental function. The treatment plant operations and laboratory testing make sure that adequate treatment of the wastewater is provided and that the discharge into the Hudson River meets the conditions of the State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit. All District Operations are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Administrative Functions

The main administrative function consists of billing the residents through sewer rents for use of the services. 

Billing Periods

  • Residences connected to the sewers in the Towns of Brunswick, North Greenbush, and Schaghticoke are billed once in January and once in July. 
  • The Town of Sand Lake customers are also billed in January and July, but they are billed for the County and Towns sewer rents all on one bill. 
  • Customers who live in the City of Rensselaer are also billed twice a year, but at various times other than January and July due to the large number of accounts. 
  • City of Troy customers pay the County Sewer Rent charges with their Troy water bill.