August 30, 2012

CONTACT:

Chris Gilbride / Mercedes Padilla (718) 595-6600

DEP Announces Plan to fix Sewer Collapse on 92^nd Street in Bay Ridge

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced plans to repair a large, partially collapsed sewer line that runs under 92^nd Street between 3^rd Avenue and Ridge Boulevard in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The repair plan was developed by DEP’s Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations with assistance from the Department of Design and Construction and is scheduled to be completed by early October.

92^nd Street Sewer Repair Plan:

• Earlier this week, crews installed two, 10.5 foot diameter sections of fiberglass pipe inside the existing sewer line, on either side of the break. The fiberglass pipe sections will reinforce the sewer line in the area near the break.
• Next, crews will reconstruct the sewer and add a reinforced flat roof that will support the access manhole. The access manhole will be constructed using precast concrete sections and will allow crews to access the sewer which is nearly 70 feet under 92nd Street.
• Once the access manhole is constructed and all the concrete has set, crews will backfill the sinkhole and make repairs to the roadway.

Background:

On June 28, DEP was notified that a sinkhole had developed over an 11-foot diameter sewer tunnel on 92nd Street between 3rd Avenue and Ridge Boulevard in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The sewer was built in 1902, and carries 15 to 28 million gallons of wastewater to the Owls Head wastewater treatment plant on a normal dry weather day. Responding crews discovered a 30' x 30' void underneath the roadway pavement. The collapse created a sinkhole at a depth of roughly 70 feet.

DEP manages the city’s water supply, providing more than one billion gallons of water each day to more than nine million residents, including eight million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,400 miles of sewer lines and 95 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP employs nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. DEP has a robust capital program with a planned $13.2 billion in investments over the next 10 years that creates up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nycwater, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nycwater.