Saturday, September 3, 2011

City wants to use Queens groundwater again

From the Times Ledger:

The city Department of Environmental Protection is looking for engineers and designers to find a way to tap into the groundwater under southeast Queens as it deals with fixing a problem with one of its upstate aqueducts, but an elected official in the neighborhood wants the agency to get to work fast.

The agency issued a request for proposals last week to develop designs as part of its Water for the Future Program. DEP Commissioner Carter Strickland said he has issued the RFP to 34 pre-qualified groups that will be in the running to conduct construction, reconstruction and improvements to the groundwater pumping systems in areas such as St. Albans and Jamaica, which have not been in operation for 15 years.

Those water systems will be needed in the near future as the DEP prepares to make repairs to one of its most-active aqueducts that brings water from upstate reservoirs.

6 comments:

Joe said...

You cant take that much water out of the ground you will get sinking and fissuring. They tried this in Los Vegas its been a disaster. The city now condemning peoples broken houses and stealing their property's.
Geologic. subsidence in Queens would be a HUGE risk to its infrastructure of 100+ year old water, gas, sewer lines and older buildings.

See:
http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/impacts/hydrology/vegas_gw/

RC said...

Jamaica Water Supply had been tapping into that aquifer for years, unitl '96, before the DEP switched over to Water Tunnel supply. Since then the water table has risen so much, many of the homeowners down south suffer from chronically flooding basements. They may benefit from this plan, if only with dryer basments.

The plan's biggest problem won't be subsidense, but salt-water intrusion from the surrounding ocean. As the city draws down the ground water, sea water would be sucked into the aquifer turning it brackish. Also, because so much of Queens is more (over)developed than it was even since 1996, the aquifer recharge will tend to be more polluted.

Anonymous said...

Who cares?

Everyone thinks that another million people are fine and we need it - like bicycles, as infrastructure improvements.

Why?

Because Mayor Mike says so.

And if he wants a 4th term - you will elect him too.

Anonymous said...

the water table has risen so much, many of the homeowners down south suffer from chronically flooding basements.

The sub-basement of York College's main building, which houses its boilers and electrical operations, is under several feet of water. They had to spend a large amount of money to raise the electrical system in several stages.

Anonymous said...

These unused aqaufiers were part of the former Jamaica Water Co. There is no reason why they cannot be restored to their former use in a quick way. Bring in the professional water well drillers from upstate for fastest results. Br aware that aquafiers and water tables experienced currently are separate unrelated issues that don't really affect each other.

Anonymous said...

Remember those sinking homes....wasn't it in Briarwood?

Glad I live in northeast Queens and never had to drink their water.

It's most likely contaminated....but that will be covered up by the DEP.

Jamaica's "colored" folk don't count in their eyes.