Saturday, May 19, 2007

Lax DEP endangers our water system


The records...show that about 26,000 buildings in the city represent an especially high risk because factories, gasoline stations or businesses that handle hazardous materials housed in those buildings have not installed the device, called a backflow prevention valve. State law has required that the device be installed on certain categories of buildings since 1981.

Thousands of Buildings Lack Required Water Valve, New York Records Show

Critics say the city’s lax enforcement of the rules on backflow valves endangers the water system and encourages owners to ignore the law. They also say the city does little to ensure that owners have the valves tested once a year to make sure they are not clogged, as required in the state sanitary code.

Graphic from NY Times

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This has been, I believe, a rampant problem in areas like downtown Flushing where, in addition, many restaurant owners have also failed to install grease traps on drain lines!

It took years for DEP inspectors to even set foot and issue fines in this "teaming" Orient where convicted criminals like Tommy Huang set the example for lawbreaking!