City Begins $46 Million Infrastructure Upgrade in Tottenville to Improve Drainage and Reduce Flooding

New Storm Sewers and Catch Basins on Staten Island’s South Shore will Help to Reduce Roadway Flooding

More Than 200 Homes will be Connected to the City Sewer System

A Map of the Project Area and Construction Photos are Available on DEP’s Flickr Page

New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Vincent Sapienza and Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio recently announced that construction has begun on a $46 million project in the Tottenville section of Staten Island. The infrastructure upgrade will add storm sewers and catch basins along Amboy Road and Page Avenue, as well as adjoining side streets, to improve drainage and help mitigate flooding. In addition, more than 2 miles of new sanitary sewers will allow more than 200 homes to connect to the City sewer system and discontinue the use of septic tanks. The upgrades will also include the construction of new water mains and fire hydrants, which will improve water pressure and ensure a reliable supply of water for the future. DEP is providing the funding for the project and DDC will manage the construction.

“This infrastructure project will significantly upgrade the storm sewer system along Amboy Road and Page Avenue, reducing localized flooding and improving area drainage,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “Additionally, the planned construction will extend the sanitary sewer system to more than 200 homes in the Tottenville area, allowing them to discontinue the use of septic tanks. We thank our colleagues at DDC for working with us to build a better quality of life for the residents and businesses on Staten Island’s South Shore.”

“This project will help alleviate flooding while reducing the effects of septic systems on the local environment,” said DDC Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio. “We work with DEP throughout the City to strengthen and upgrade water and sewer infrastructure, and this work represents a major investment in the community.”

“The installation of storm sewers and catch basins will help alleviate many of the flooding issues that plague south shore residents while new water mains will provide a reliable water supply for fire hydrants. I look forward to seeing the completion of this important upgrade to our infrastructure,” said Borough President James Oddo.

“This project is great news for the South Shore. Sanitary sewers and improved drainage are sorely needed here, and I’m glad DEP is beginning work,” said Congressman Daniel M. Donovan, Jr.

“This project marks an essential step in bringing a necessary upgrade to critical infrastructure in Tottenville. For too long streets have flooded with moderate rainfall while homeowners have struggled with maintaining their septic tanks. I want to thank DEP for continuing their investment in the south shore of Staten Island and know that despite some growing pains this project will bring much needed relief to the residents of our area,” said Assembly Member Ron Castorina, Jr.

“This project means a lot to the hundreds of homes on the south shore that it will bring sewers to, and to the many drivers who use Amboy Road near Page where there are flooding issues when it rains. We’re very happy to have the new storm sewers and catch basins, and I'd like to thank DEP Commissioner Sapienza and the DDC for working with my office to reduce interruptions to traffic and businesses in the area,” said Council Member Joe Borelli.

As part of the project, more than 7,200 linear feet of new storm sewers will be installed along Amboy Road, between Parker Street and Richmond Valley Road, and along Page Avenue, between Amboy Road and Estella Place. Work will also impact portions of Eugene Street, Murray Street, Bethel Avenue, Hale Street, Hecker Street, Bedell Avenue, New Folden Place, Poe Street, and Eastwood Avenue in the adjacent neighborhoods.

The construction of 80 new catch basins will help to drain precipitation from the roadways and alleviate localized flooding. In addition, more than 11,700 linear feet of new sanitary sewers will allow 210 homes to connect to the City’s sewer system and discontinue the use of septic tanks.

While the roadway is open to install the sewers, more than 12,300 linear feet of new ductile iron water mains will be added to replace older cast iron pipes. This will improve water distribution in the area while 34 new hydrants will ensure firefighters have a reliable supply of water for the future.

To manage the needs of residents and businesses during construction, DDC has assigned a full-time Community Construction Liaison (CCL) to this project. CCL Robert Brok will keep the neighborhood apprised of construction progress, and will coordinate street closures or special requests. He is directly accessible to the public and can be reached at 908-295-5345 or by email at fldse812@gmail.com.

This project is among several significant investments that DEP has made over the last several years on Staten Island’s South Shore to upgrade infrastructure and improve the system’s resiliency.

Last August, the city completed the largest ever expansion of the Staten Island Bluebelt system. This $48 million infrastructure upgrade to the Woodrow area also added more than three miles of storm sewers, installed hundreds of catch basins, replaced existing water mains, and added four miles of new sanitary sewers that allowed nearly 600 homes to connect to the City sewer system.

A $15 million infrastructure project that also finished last August constructed new storm sewers, sanitary sewers and water mains along Bloomingdale Road in Rossville. The new sanitary sewers allowed a pre-school, two businesses and ten private residences to discontinue the use of their septic systems, which can be troublesome to maintain.

And, another $15 million project completed last June was a new Bluebelt in Pleasant Plains with new storm sewers, catch basins and water mains added in and around Richard Avenue, as well as the enhancement of existing waterways. In addition, almost a mile of new sanitary sewers allowed nearly 100 homes to connect to the City sewer system and stop using septic tanks.

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 19 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 $18.9 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep.

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.