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Comprehensive Plan 39 Drinking Water Telecommunications Drinking water in the Town is supplied via direct access Internet services in the Town are provided by multiple by the Erie County Water Authority (ECWA). ECWA broadband and wireless providers, such as Spectrum, owns and operates the entire system for all but 36 GoNetspeed, T-Mobile Home Internet, Viasat, and town customers who live on private roads (S Heerick Starlink. These providers offer residents access to high- Dr, Heiler Dr, Hickory Ln, Mary James Ln, Mirchell Rd), speed internet, cable, and fiber-optic connections, and is responsible for all customer service, billing, depending on location. While areas within and near the and capital improvements. Overall, 2,799 properties Village of East Aurora typically have access to fiber- (68% of properties) in Aurora have access to public optic and cable internet, more rural parts of the town drinking water, while 974 (23.9% of properties) get their may rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite internet water via private wells. Property owners with a private due to infrastructure limitations. Additionally, some well system are responsible for ensuring proper well locations where fiber-optic lines have been installed maintenance, testing, and treatment to maintain water have negatively impacted tree cover by significantly quality. In contrast, all municipalities east and south of trimming tree limbs to accommodate the installation. Aurora either have their own municipal drinking water Major service providers offer a range of speeds and system or are totally reliant on private well systems. packages to meet residential and business needs, with ongoing efforts to expand broadband coverage to Sewer & Stormwater underserved areas. The Erie County Division of Sewerage Management Erie County is currently in the process of building out (DSM) serves the Village and portions of the Town. their middle-mile community fiber optic broadband The Village and portions of the Town are assigned to network called ErieNet. The mission of the new county Sewer District No. 8, which operates infrastructure such not-for-profit will be to address the broadband needs as collector sewers, pumping stations, and a water of underserved communities by developing the resource recovery facility. Erie County’s sewer district infrastructure needed for service providers to install 8 covers approximately 2,462 acres of land within the last-mile service connections. ErieNet is expected to Town, which includes the entirety of the Village of East begin build-out in the nearby Town of Boston by 2026, Aurora, several town parcels around the Village, and with tie-ins to the Town of Aurora slated for the future. parcels along Center Street leading up to the high school. Overall, 417 properties (10% of properties) in Electricity and Natural Gas the Town of Aurora have sewer service. In addition to sewer services, the Town manages stormwater Electricity in the Town of Aurora is provided by New drainage to prevent flooding, erosion, and water York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) while natural gas pollution. The stormwater system includes a network of is provided by National Fuel. These utilities ensure drains, culverts, and retention basins that direct runoff reliable energy distribution to homes and businesses, from roads, properties, and public spaces into natural with NYSEG maintaining the electrical grid, responding waterways. to outages, and offering energy efficiency programs, while National Fuel supplies natural gas for heating, 2,963 properties (72.8%) within the Town rely on private cooking, and other residential and commercial uses. septic systems for wastewater treatment, as municipal Customers have the option of choosing alternative sewer services are not available in all areas. A typical Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) for electricity system consists of a septic tank, where solids settle and gas supply while still relying on the main utility and break down, and a leach field, where effluent liquid providers for distribution and maintenance. is filtered into the soil. Homeowners are responsible for routine maintenance, including pumping the tank every Recently, through the support of the Town’s Climate 3-5 years to prevent system failure and environmental Smart Communities Committee, the Town has rolled contamination. The Erie County Health Department out a Community Solar program called Aurora Solar regulates septic system installation and maintenance, Savings, which is an opt-in program. Through NYSEG, requiring permits for new or replacement systems to residents can sign up at no cost to have a portion of ensure compliance with health and environmental their electricity they use to be sourced from a solar standards. energy farm. The program currently receives its energy from a solar project in Halfmoon, NY which is north of Albany, NY. There are only a few hundred spots provided to Aurora which have all be claimed, but the Town is actively working to expand the number of slots for the program. The program is a benefit to the community and residents for several reasons, including up to 10% off utility bills, no need for roof-mounted solar panels, and the town receives additional grant funding through the program success which can be invested towards other clean energy projects.