Homeowners gathered around on Seneca Avenue near Norman Street in Ridgewood on Thursday afternoon to get answers from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding sewage problems they have been experiencing since earlier this year.
Homeowner Angela Georgescu said she started seeing sewage flood her basement as far back as eight years ago after National Grid excavated the road in front of her house.
The problem was sporadic until sometime in early 2015, when she learned that seven other houses on her block were also having trouble doing their laundry and were spending more time in their basements cleaning up.
Mark Chen Oi Ming, one of her neighbors, claimed he saw utility workers damage the sewage line eight years ago. At the time, the employees told him they would come back to make repairs but Ming did not see them again.
The Department of Health has visited the site at least twice because the sewage has overflowed into the sidewalk, neighbors claimed.
Georgescu and other homeowners have tried calling 311 and contacting local Assembly and Council members but have received no response or have been told that action cannot be taken since the sewage line is private. A representative for Assemblyman Mike Miller told the homeowners to individually call plumbers to identify the problem.
Georgescu and other homeowners hired plumbers to check their sewage lines and have all received the same answer – their individual sewage lines are clean and damage free.
DEP officials visited the site on April 2 to provide information about the sewage infrastructure and next steps the homeowners need to take to repair this problem. According to DEP officials, these homes were built more than 100 years ago, which means the sewage pipes were constructed before the city sewer was put into place.
In this case, the DEP claimed, the sewage lines are considered private property and the responsibility of the homeowner. The sewage from these seven homes collects into a private drain that then connects to the city sewer and travels to a sewage treatment plant.
9 comments:
Georgescu and other homeowners have tried calling 311 and contacting local Assembly and Council members but have received no response or have been told that action cannot be taken since the sewage line is private.
YOU ARE LITTLE PEOPLE.
DON'T WASTE THEIR TIME AS THE SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER DOWN THE STREET HAS SCHEDULED A PHOTO OP TO SHOW THEIR CONCERN FOR THE PLIGHT OF THE SENIORS (AND THEIR VOTES) ...
AND THERE IS SOME FELLOW THAT MADE A DONATION THAT (IN PASSING) MENTIONED AN INTEREST IN A 8 STORY BUILDING IN THEIR DISTRICT.
SO MANY DISTRACTIONS.
A representative for Assemblyman Mike Miller told the homeowners to individually call plumbers to identify the problem.
WHY DON'T YOU INDIVIDUALLY CALL THE PEOPLE YOU ARE PAYING TO SATISFY YOUR COMMUNITY'S NEEDS
(HINT LOOK UP 'ELECTED OFFICIALS' AND 'BOROUGH PRESIDENT' AND COMMUNITY BOARD')
AND SHARE THIS WITH CRAPPY?
Like putting people in basements and families in shipping containers, inviting every Tom Dick and Harry to come to the city while you know there is a critical housing shortage, and towers in midtown are dark for most of the year.
We have a batch of stupid and or venal people running things that will create a lot of big problems for us in the very near future.
Rather then working slower and more precise (and by hand knowing they were working near 100 tear old line) National Grid tore into the street in a rush over-excavated and busted the main line that plugs into the city sewer. Unlike the former old NYC workers. These young inexperienced crews and "father & son" foreman dont have the experience to work in places like Ridgewood.
Apparently they are pig headed wont listen as well !!
I wasn't home but been told they ignored a concerned homeowner who knew what he was talking about, covered it all up and sealed the hole and split.
Gas company's rushing and breaking old sewer lines these Stier designs used has happened before. National Grid should know better and listen to the old timers. You need partially hand dig in these 100 plus year old areas.
Are they down with OPP?
Yeah, you know me!
(Other people's POOP)
Sue the city. Then they might respond.
Immigrant DiBlasio-Katz voters most of them.
I have a legal finished basement with shower and bathroom and saw this "sh*t" coming and installed a a pump & check valve over 10 years ago. I longer give a shit about this neighborhood its finished and forgotten by the city. These people are going to receive what they asked for so let them suffer and learn the hard way.
Let them see what their precious democrat "socialist" electeds get them now.
That laundromat on Norman & Seneca street must be running 40 machines 18 hours a day to keep up with all the diapers and clothing from illegal immigrant family's with 3+ kids. All packed into those 3 story flats like rice in bags with the city's blessing.
Just wait come El Cinco de Mayo day when all the Spanish cooking, Cerveza, toilets, laundry, showers & sinks are going at once.
Oh boy, talk about La Pew !!!
-Joe
Just look at the door in that photo, the famous faux wood-grain door that have been part of Ridgewood architecture since those house were built has been painted WHITE, (even pink & green with brass bling and painted sandstone stoops in some cases) !!
Faux woodgrain was invented in Ridgeood by the German builders.
Why must these people screw up historic houses up like this. It looks hideous like the shit you see in Trinidad & Crown Heights
"The problem was sporadic until sometime in early 2015, when she learned that seven other houses on her block were also having trouble doing their laundry and were spending more time in their basements cleaning up."
Interesting how the discovery of others in the same situation makes it no longer sporadic. The problem is apparently more widespread than originally known, but that doesn't change whether it is sporadic or not.
Contact DOI's inspector general via certified return receipt mail.
Channel 11's Greg Mocker is great for these kind of issues. He shows up with TV cameras and it's live at six.
That moves the sluggish shit we have running NYC departments like a dose of milk of magnesia.
You've got to learn how to fight effectively to get results fast.
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