FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 17-42
May 25, 2017
DEP (718) 595-6600; DDC (718) 391-1583

City Investing $95 Million to Clean Up Pugsley Creek in South Bronx

New Sewer Line will Reduce Overflows into Pugsley Creek by 98 Percent

Planting of More Than 300 New Trees Will Help to Improve Air Quality and Lower Summer Temperatures

Photos of the Work are Available on DEP’s Flickr Page

The New York City Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Design and Construction (DDC) today announced that preliminary work has begun on a $95 million project to clean up Pugsley Creek in the south Bronx. The focus of this infrastructure project is the construction of a nearly mile-long parallel sewer running below White Plains Road that will direct more wastewater to the Hunts Point Wastewater Treatment Plant and will reduce combined sewer overflows into Pugsley Creek by 98 percent. Work will also include the replacement of nearly two miles of roughly century-old cast iron water mains with new, stronger ductile iron mains. Funding for the project is being provided by DEP while DDC is managing the construction, which is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2020.

“We are thrilled to have shovels in the ground on this $95 million investment in the south Bronx that will go a long way towards cleaning up Pugsley Creek,” said DEP Acting Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “Upgrading our infrastructure is not only important for the health of our waterways, it is also essential to improving the quality of life for the residents of the Bronx.”

“The new sewer system will improve the resiliency of the area and provide residents with sustainable water management processes that strengthen the neighborhoods infrastructure,” said DDC Commissioner Feniosky Pe ña-Mora. “The project also provides an abundance of new trees, making the community greener and improving air quality. I look forward to working with our partners at DEP and in the City Council to deliver this project to the South Bronx.”

“This $95 million project to clean up Pugsley Creek will benefit the lives of not just my south Bronx constituents, but of all New Yorkers. Thanks to this crucial City investment, Pugsley Creek will become a cleaner waterway with much-needed upgrades to its drainage infrastructure. The addition of 300 new trees to the area will also beautify a greenspace that has so much to offer,” said Senator Jeff Klein.

“Our waterways are a precious resource and I commend the efforts of the Department of Environmental Protection in minimizing the impact of overflows into Pugsley Creek,” said Bronx Community Board 9 District Manager William Rivera. “Upgrading the sewer line in the surrounding area will go a long way towards improving the health of our waterways.”

The project includes the construction of 9,020 linear feet of distribution ductile iron water mains, 4,365 linear feet of combined sewers and the addition of 26 new fire hydrants and 306 trees. In addition, more than 20,000 square feet of sidewalk will be rebuilt and more than 29,000 square yards of pavement will be resurfaced. The construction of the new parallel sewer, which will reduce combined sewer overflows into Pugsley Creek by approximately 200 million gallons annually, is part of an agreement between New York City and New York State that aims to improve the ecological health and cleanliness of New York City Harbor.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.5 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 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $20.7 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s lenses of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, new or upgraded roadways, sewers, water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative, and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to city projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.