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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 168-08
May 6, 2008

MAYOR BLOOMBERG SIGNS LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING REGULATIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF COMMON SEWERS IN NEW HOMES

Remarks by Mayor Bloomberg at a Public Hearing on Local Laws

"The next bill before me is Introductory Number 657-A, sponsored by Council Members Arroyo, White, Dilan, Comrie, Gonzalez, James, Palma, Rivera, Stewart, Yassky, Jackson, Liu Baez, McMahon, Recchia, Sears, Weprin and Oddo.  Introductory Number 657-A establishes regulations for the installation and use of 'common sewers' or 'internal private drains' in the construction of new homes. 

"Under current law, one and two family homes may connect to privately owned sewer lines called 'common sewers' or 'internal private drains' rather than connecting directly to the main sewer line.  Such practices have been utilized throughout the City of New York when a developer is building an individual row or a cluster of attached and semi-attached homes.  Each individual unit's waste pipes are connected to a single common sanitary sewer line that connects to the public sewer in the street.

"While most developers are conscious of where they place these common sewers lines, there have been instances where developers have run common sewers under homes before they are connected to the public sewer system, and because of either shifting soil or the settlement of the homes, the sanitary sewer line can bend, disconnect or crack resulting in sewage back-ups.  Introductory Number 657-A addresses such situations by prohibiting common sewers from being placed underneath homes and requiring sufficient access to make repairs.

"I would like to thank Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Shaun Donovan, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Emily Lloyd and Department of Buildings Acting Commissioner Robert LiMandri and their staff for their work on this bill.  I would also like to thank the Council approving this legislation."







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser/Evelyn Erskine   (212) 788-2958




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