February 26, 2025

Funding Will Upgrade Sewers and Catch Basins, Expand Local Sewer Capacity in Select Areas By Over 850 Percent, Alleviate Chronic Flooding in Bushwick 

Project Will Also Replace Water Mains and Privately-Owned Lead Service Lines, Save Homeowners and Businesses Thousands of Dollars

Historic “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity Plan” Will Build 80,000 New Homes Over Next Decade and Invest $5 Billion in Critical Infrastructure Updates and Housing

NEW YORK—New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, and New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced that the city will—as part of the Adams administration’s historic “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” plan—invest $390 million in critical infrastructure upgrades to alleviate chronic flooding in Bushwick, Brooklyn and help keep New Yorkers safe. Starting with Knickerbocker Avenue, the project will replace nearly three miles of sewers and upgrade all catch basins in the surrounding area to a modern model—expanding the local sewer system’s capacity in select areas by more than 850 percent and reducing the risk of flooding across approximately 2,300 acres in Bushwick. Additionally, the project will replace almost a mile of water mains to improve the neighborhood’s water distribution infrastructure. Moreover, all privately-owned water service lines—which connect private properties to water mains—that are found to contain lead will be replaced during construction at no cost to property owners, saving local businesses and homeowners thousands of dollars and ensuring a safer, healthier Bushwick. Finally, as part of the project, DOT will deliver a Vision Zero redesign of Knickerbocker Avenue to keep pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers safe; DOT will share a proposal with the community for review. The funding announced today is part of Mayor Adams’ “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” plan, which the New York City Council passed into law in December 2024 and which invests $5 billion in housing and infrastructure upgrades across the five boroughs.

Read the full Mayoral Press Release.