City Completes $15 Million Infrastructure Upgrade Along Bloomingdale Road on Staten Island
Installation of New Storm Sewers, Sanitary Sewers, Water Mains and Catch Basins Was Finished Three Months Ahead of Schedule
Improvements Will Reduce Flooding, Ensure a Reliable Water Supply and Allow Homes and Businesses to Discontinue Use of Septic Systems
A Map of the Project Area is Available on DEP’s Flickr Page
New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Acting Commissioner Vincent Sapienza and Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio recently announced that a $15 million infrastructure project to upgrade storm sewers, sanitary sewers and water mains along Bloomingdale Road in Staten Island has been completed three months ahead of schedule. The project will improve area drainage and help to reduce flooding, allow homeowners and businesses to discontinue the use of septic systems, and ensure a reliable supply of water for the future. Funding for the project was provided by DEP while DDC managed the construction.
“This project has significantly upgraded the sewer infrastructure along Bloomingdale Road, reducing flooding and improving drainage for residents on the South Shore,” said DEP Acting Commissioner Vincent Sapienza.
“Working with DEP, DDC is proud to deliver new resilient and sustainable infrastructure to one of the main transit arteries on Staten Island,” said DDC Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio. “By delivering the project three months ahead of schedule we are able to minimize the effects of construction on the community, and are able to start taking advantage of the benefits the project brings to local residents.”
“A huge gain, not only for those people who will no longer be dependent on their septic tanks but, for the community as a whole,” said Assembly Member Ron Castorina. “Reducing flooding and allowing for proper drainage will greatly improve the lives of residents, and allow for a reliable supply of water to the area in the future. Further, I commend the efficiency demonstrated by the DDC and DEP as they completed this project three months ahead of schedule.”
“I welcome this infrastructural upgrade which will ensure a reliable source of water for these residents in the future, and will cut down on maintenance bills for septic systems,” said Council Member Joseph Borelli. “I appreciate the support from Acting Commissioners Sapienza and Barrio and their commitment to providing and improving infrastructure in the neighborhoods I represent.”
As part of the project, more than 6,700 linear-feet of new storm sewers and 82 new catch basins were constructed to create additional capacity in the drainage system and help alleviate street flooding between the Korean War Veterans Parkway and Veterans Road. Additionally, the upgrade included 3,500 linear-feet of new sanitary sewers that will allow a pre-school, two businesses and ten private residences to discontinue the use of their septic systems, which can be troublesome to maintain.
DDC’s Engineer-in-Charge was Mansukh Mavani, a veteran civil engineer who has served New York City for 29 years. Beginning his career in 1988 as a construction engineer for the New York City Department of Transportation, he moved to DDC when the agency was founded in 1996. He has worked in the Staten Island office of DDC’s Infrastructure division since 2006.
“If you go into other boroughs, everybody is already connected to the sanitary sewer. So, to enable people to stop depending on their septic systems is rewarding for us because the community is grateful,” said Mavani. “I feel proud of helping the community. It’s why I became an engineer. In this project, we helped to mitigate flooding and boosted the strength of the neighborhood through its infrastructure. It feels good.”
Also, while the roadway was open to install the sewers, 7,920 linear-feet of cast iron water mains were replaced with new, more reliable ductile iron piping, ensuring that the area will have a reliable supply of water for the future.
The project also saw the installation of ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps, new sidewalks and a curb-to-curb restoration of the roadway. A total of 47,000 square yards of roadway was resurfaced. Additionally, 125 trees that will bring shade and better air quality to the neighborhood were planted along Bloomingdale Road. Finally, a new Bluebelt component was added in Clay Pit Ponds Park. The structure consists of a stone-faced headwall and an outlet stilling basin, which will naturally filter the stormwater. This work also included the planting of over 1,500 shrubs and herbaceous plants.
DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.5 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 21 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $20.7 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year.
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s lenses of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, new or upgraded roadways, sewers, water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative, and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to city projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.