$54 Million Gowanus Sewer Project Completed, is Already Proving Worthwhile

YS Gold 

The NYC DEP has recently completed a major project to overhaul the sewers system along 3rd Avenue between State and Carroll Streets. This is an area that lies adjacent to Boro Park, and the additional capacity in the neighborhood’s drainage system is already helping to reduce roadway flooding 

“These drainage improvements proved their worth most recently during the 4th of July rainstorms, as DEP received no reports of sewer backups or street flooding along 3rd Avenue,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “DEP continues to explore stormwater management solutions for other corridors in Gowanus that experience regular flooding.”

“Gowanus is a vulnerable area and we’re proud to help improve the situation for residents,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley.

Before work began, drainage for the area around 3rd Avenue was routed to a single combined sewer pipe, which collected both wastewater from surrounding homes and businesses as well as stormwater from the street. The main component of this project involved building a new sewer pipe under 3rd Avenue to carry only stormwater. This dedicated stormwater pipe improves roadway drainage while also creating additional capacity for wastewater in the existing combined sewer, which reduces the chance of any polluted overflows into the nearby Gowanus Canal.