Frequently Asked Questions

The County is undergoing a substantial multi-year construction project to regionalize wastewater treatment at the Milton Street location. To ensure public safety, the Sewer District regrets that in-person payments cannot be accepted at the Administrative Offices on Milton Street until further notice. 

 The following methods will be accepted for payment: 

 Mail: Checks and money orders can be mailed to 600 Milton Street, Elmira, NY 14904 

Online: Credit card payments are accepted at https://Sewer.ChemungCountyNY.gov/ 

Drop Off: Drop Box for check and money order payment at Chemung County Treasurer’s Office:

                    320 E. Market Street

                    Elmira, NY 14901

 Please include the bar-coded payment stub with your payment. Please do not leave cash in the Drop Box.

 No payments after October 31.

Payment Methods Accepted

Payment can be made by check, money order, or by credit card online. We do not accept payments by phone.  Checks and money orders should be made payable to CCSD.  

Check and money order payments can be mailed to 600 Milton Street Elmira, NY 14904. They can also be dropped off  in the drop box located at 320 E Market Street Elmira, NY 14901.  Please include the payment stub with the account number so that the payment can be applied correctly and promptly.

Online payments can be made with a credit card. Online payments are subject to a 2.95% service fee  with a minimum fee of $1.50. This fee is paid to the card processing company, not to Chemung County.

Bank Payments

Any payments made through a bank or credit union's Bill Pay service may be delayed several days. This is due to the fact that they are not sent in with the required payment stub and therefore require additional processing time. We receive a check from your Bill Pay service when you pay by this method. Please be sure to have your Bill Pay service include your sewer usage account number and the property address on the check if you choose to pay by this method. This will help to reduce delays.

For most homeowners and businesses, sewer usage is billed annually. This bill is typically mailed out in the Spring.  Chemung County Sewer District uses metered water data as the basis for sewer billing. Customers receive water from one of four sources: Elmira Water Board, Village of Horseheads, Town of Big Flats, or private wells. Except for residences on private wells, all consumption is metered and is based on the metered water used by the property.  For homeowners on a well, the annual sewer use bill is based on DEC guidelines for a typical single-family residence.  Only homeowners and businesses that are connected to the sewer system pay this charge.  This bill covers the operation and maintenance costs that the Sewer Districts incur treating the water so that it meets the standards to be released into the Chemung River.  

Sewer tax is a separate charge and is sent out at the beginning of the year on the users' county tax bill.  This charge is based on the value of the property and is charged to all properties in the Sewer Districts whether they are connected to sewer or not.  This charge differs from the sewer use charge in that it covers capital improvement costs to improve and maintain sewer infrastructure.

Yes, a meter can be installed on a well.  This can be done by the homeowner or a plumber.  Once a meter is installed, the homeowner must contact the Deputy Director of the Sewer Districts at (607) 873-1503 to schedule an inspection of the meter.  Meter reads must be provided by the homeowner to the Sewer District every January.

Please contact the Deputy Director at the number above with any questions on installing a meter at a property.

Customers in Elmira Sewer District receive water from the Elmira Water Board or are  on private wells.  Customers in Sewer District #1 receive water from one of four sources; Elmira Water Board, Village of Horseheads, Town of Big Flats, or private wells. Except for those on private wells, all consumption is metered.

For metered users, billing will be based on units of water used.  For those on wells, dwellings will be assigned a number of units based on estimated water used, to be determined by DEC Guidelines as per their publication “Standards for Wastewater Treatment” and other information as shall be available. 

For more information, please refer to the Scale of Charges for the Sewer District the property is located in.

Chemung County owns and operates two treatment facilities: The Lake Street Treatment Plant which is 61 years old, and the Milton Street Treatment Plant which is 36 years old. The typical life expectancy of a Wastewater Treatment Plant is 30 years so these facilities have both exceeded the typical useful life. At more than 60 years old, the Lake Street facility is struggling to meet the discharge limits established in the facility’s state discharge permit. 

Both treatment plants discharge to the Chemung River which is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and because of this, the County’s facilities must meet with the Chesapeake Bay Program limits for nutrients: phosphorus and nitrogen. Currently, the County’s wastewater treatment plants  do not have a means of removing nitrogen and will not be able to meet the program discharge limits that will take effect January 1, 2025.  There would be significant fines imposed for failure to meet these requirements.

 To solve the challenges at both of these plants, Chemung County is currently in the middle of a multi-million dollar project to consolidate the two treatment plants.  The Consolidation Project is Chemung County’s largest infrastructure project to date and the overall project price is a significant investment at $275M.  To date, the County has secured $72M in grants.  The remainder of the cost will be financed by the county and passed on to users as an increase in sewer rates.

Annual sewer bills that are not paid by October 31st are relevied onto the county taxes with a 7% penalty.

If you feel that there has been an error on your sewer bill, appeals for review of charges shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Director within thirty (30) days of billing date.  All appeals will be reviewed on an individual basis.  Appeals can be emailed through the "Contact Us" link on the website or can be mailed to:

 Alexandra Rennie                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Executive Director Chemung County Sewer Districts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         600 Milton Street                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Elmira, NY 14904

We do not grant appeals for filling a pool or watering lawns and gardens as this is considered incidental water usage, which is factored into the overall rates.

It comes from toilets, household cleaning, bathing and cooking, as well as industrial cleaning and manufacturing. There are also other sources such as rainwater. We especially see a large increase during heavy thunderstorms or when snow is melting.

The first thing to do is call a plumber. Most blockages are found to be in the lateral which is the owner's responsibility to have cleaned and repaired if necessary. The owner is responsible for the lateral from their house to the main in the street. If the plumber finds the blockage is in the sewer main, your plumber should contact us at 607-737-6223, so we can discuss the issue with them and check the sewer main. This number is monitored 24 hours a day.

About 24.2 million gallons per day between the two treatment plants; or the volume required to fill 36 Olympic sized swimming pools.

The clean water leaving the plant is discharged to the Chemung River.

Both of the Chemung County Sewer District's Wastewater Treatment Facilities are advanced secondary treatment facilities. As such, the water we discharge is comparable to the quality of natural surface waters, and is safe for fish and other aquatic life. Both the effluent and the receiving waters are monitored to make sure New York State and Environmental Protection Agency standards are met.

Yes we do.  County residents can currently use the dump station located at the Chemung County Fairgrounds. To ensure public safety, the Sewer District regrets that RV waste cannot be accepted at the  Milton St. facility until further notice, as we are currently undergoing significant construction. There is no fee for this service.

Yes, we do offer educational tours free of charge. For safety reasons, minimum age for school groups is 5th grade. Please call 607-733-2887 for details and to set up a tour.