July 10, 2012

CONTACT:

Chris Gilbride / Corey Chambliss (718) 595-6600

DEP Provides Update On Sewer Repair at 92nd Street and Third Avenue in Brooklyn

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection today provided the following update on the sewer cave-in at 92nd Street and 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn:

• On Thursday, June 28th, DEP was notified of a street collapse in Brooklyn on 92nd Street west of 3rd Avenue. Responding crews discovered a 30' x 30' void underneath the roadway pavement. The undermining was caused by a partial collapse of an 11-foot sewer line that runs under 92nd Street at a depth of roughly 70 feet.
• The damaged 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.
• DEP is building a temporary sewer along 92nd Street to bypass the damaged line. The installation will take several days, and involves digging trenches along 92nd Street from Ridge Avenue to 4th Avenue.
• At the site of the collapse, crews are working to secure the earth around the collapsed sewer line so it can be safely excavated and the damage inspected. Buildings adjacent to the affected area are being monitored for any vibrations and settlement during construction operations.
• Work to repair the sewer line will be complicated and will likely take several months.
• The following street closures will be in effect during construction:
  • 92nd Street between 3rd Avenue and Ridge Boulevard (closed until repair completion)
  • 92nd Street between 4th Avenue and 3rd Avenue (temporarily closed)
  • 3rd Avenue between 91st Street and 93rd Street (temporarily closed)
  • Ridge Boulevard between 91st Street and 93rd Street (temporarily closed)
  • Street parking restrictions are in effect for 92nd Street from Ridge Boulevard to 4th Avenue
• Residents are not currently experiencing disruptions to their utility services. DEP will continue to provide the community with regular updates.

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. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nycwater, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nycwater.