The rising Queens water table

The summer floods can be traced to unusually high levels of rainfall – 2007 was the third wettest year on record for New York City. But some flooding in Queens is consistent and slow-moving. This is the flooding that some believe results from a rising water table.

A Flood With No Rain: Though Opinions Differ On The Cause, Rising Water Becoming An Issue In Boro

When Lt. Steven Huron of Engine 299 on Utopia Parkway found the firehouse basement flooded, he sought help from the City.

“Everybody said not me, not me, not me,” Huron said. “Nobody wanted to fix it.”

The supplies in the basement became moldy and dirty and a fire fighter hurt himself. Now they no longer use it as storage space.

Around the corner, JHS 216’s boiler room is also flooded. According to an unidentified source involved in school maintenance, Plant Operations has carried out the first phase of a “water penetration project” and is about to enter phase two.

Anyone who spends time at Ryan Junior High School knows about the flooded boiler room. And varying theories abound.

“We’re flooded all the time,” custodian Hugo Salazar said, sweeping leaves from the curb. “We’re over a lagoon.”