The City Yard is one of the most diverse facets of City government and is responsible for maintaining and developing a number of tasks to keep the City of Rome safe, clean and a great place to raise a family.

Supervised by the Department of Public Works, the primary tasks of City Yard include snow plowing and removal, street sweeping, green waste and brush removal, waste transfer, street maintenance, inside and outside district road side mowing, pothole repair, tree planting and removal.

Other projects the City Yard accomplishes are culvert repair and installations, replacement of tree damaged concrete sidewalks.

The City Yard:

• For concerns with streets, green-waste, etc call the City Yard at (315) 339-7774.
• E-waste drop-off site is located at the Western Transfer Station @ 575 Perimeter Road, Rome, NY 13440; Phone Number: (315) 339-1990 (Call ONLY for E-Waste Questions).
• Partners with a number of other City Departments to demolish condemned buildings, install Christmas decorations and construct city beautification projects.
• Is always one of the first responders to storm damage, power outages and road damage.

Chemical Waste Disposal:
Any Paint, Gasoline, Kerosene, Paint Thinner, Stripper, Oil, and any other Toxic or Combustible can be brought to:

Merf Plant
80 Leland Ave
Utica, NY
Monday-Friday 8:00AM-4:00PM
Saturday 7:00AM-2:00PM

The service is free to Oneida and Herkimer County residents.
Call for seasonal hours. (315) 733-1224

Street Maintenance:
Street maintenance crews provide the following services from the City Yard facility:

• Street Sweeping
• Pothole Repairs
• Leaf & Brush Pick Up
• Snow Plowing
• Road Edge Mowing
• Storm Water System Cleaning
• Storm Water System Installation

The City of Rome’s Electrical Department is tasked with the operation and maintenance of traffic lights, municipal fire alarm systems and electrical systems of most of the city buildings. The Electrical Department also installs, maintains, removes and stores all Christmas decorations including the light pole, City tree and Trinkaus decorations.  In addition, they provide 24-hour emergency response to all city departments and support all city events and functions such as the Taste of Rome, Honor America Days, Summer in the Square, Summer Sounds, and the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

Street Light Outage:
To report a street light outage please note the pole number and the nearest street address and call City of Rome Department of Public Works at (315) 339-7635.

Traffic Light Outage:
To report traffic light outage or malfunction call (315) 339-7635.

The Engineering Department is responsible for:

• Construction Projects
• Street Reconstruction
• Street Resurfacing
• Water and Sanitary Sewer Projects
• Curb Cuts (Both New and Widening of Existing Driveways)
• Culvert Permit Applications
• Tax Maps Information
• Property Deeds Information

Engineering Contact:

The mission of the Forestry Division is to develop, protect, and manage the City of Rome’s urban forest and greenspaces in order to cultivate a better quality of life through economic opportunity, environmental sustainability and aesthetic beauty.

For further comments, issues or questions, please contact Tom Jones at (315) 339-7774.

You would call this department if you needed information on traffic signs such as yield, stop signs or no parking signs, or wish to report sign damage. We can give you information on street and road painting.

Damaged or missing sign reports that we receive are handled on a priority basis. Signs that direct or restrict traffic flow such as stop signs, one way, or do not enter signs, to name a few, are usually repaired within 24 hours and no more than 72 hours. All other signs are usually repaired or partially repaired within one week, or very seldom, up to two weeks. Sometimes specific circumstances exist that may prolong repairs. Signs that are bent in such a manner as to create a condition, which may cause harm to pedestrians or vehicles, are handled promptly.

Our pavement-marking program usually runs from mid-May through September. This program consists of applying centerlines, edge lines, crosswalks, stop bars and directional arrows.

For inquiries or to report sign damage call us directly. If we are not available to answer your call please leave you name, telephone number and a brief message and we will get back to you as soon as we return.

If you are reporting sign damage that requires immediate attention and we are not in the office, please call the City Yard at 339-7778.

If you are calling to report a sign, which may require immediate attention, after working hours, call the Rome Police Department at 339-3311.

The Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (Centro) provides public transportation and paratransit services across the City of Rome six days a week.

For service information, please visit: www.centro.org or call: (315) 442-3400

There will be no service on the following holidays:

New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. (we also do not operate on Sundays in Rome)

Birnie Bus : https://birniebus.com/routes.php

The first municipal sewer system in the City of Rome was constructed in 1896. The Rome Water Pollution Control Facility, the first major treatment plant in the Mohawk Valley, was constructed in 1932. The plant was reconstructed and expanded in 1948. Planning for the new plant started in 1965 with project approval for construction in 1969. Construction started in 1974 and the plant was put into service in 1977. The total cost for this new facility was $13 million with 87.5 percent State and Federal aid. This new facility, a secondary treatment plant using an activated sludge process, was designed to serve a population of 55,000 and an average daily wastewater flow of 9 million gallons a day. In 1994, the plant was upgraded to a capacity of 12 million gallons a day, with additional aeration tanks, sludge thickener, odor control system and final clarifier, at a cost of $7.5 million.

The activated sludge process used at our facility was developed in England in 1914 and was so named because it involved the production of an activated mass of microorganisms capable of stabilizing the organic content of a waste. It is a biological contact process in which bacteria is commonly found. All types of bacteria make up activated sludge. Our activated sludge process consists of ten aeration basins. These ten basins have allowed us enough aeration capacity and detention time to enable us to nitrify. We nitrify by converting ammonia to nitrates.

The Water and Sewer department of Department of Public works maintains the water and sewer system in the City of Rome, which include the following:

• Water Distribution: water leak detection, service leak repairs, water main tapping, repairs, and mainline valve replacements; fire hydrant flushing, testing, repairs and replacements
• Water Meter Maintenance: meter reading, repairs, testing and installation
• Sewer Maintenance: regular flushing, repairs and resets, infiltration repairs
• Storm Sewer Maintenance: regular flushing, repairs, resets and installations of manholes and catch basins

To report any of the following issues, please call the Water Department at (315) 339-7772 Monday-Friday 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM or the Emergency Line at (315) 339-7777 in the evenings and on weekends: 

Leaking or damaged hydrants

Leaking or damaged water meters

Leaking, dirty or no water

Water System Emergency Response Plan 2025