City Completes the Installation of 6.4 Miles of New Sewers and Water Mains in Eltingville and Great Kills

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City Completes the Installation of 6.4 Miles of New Sewers and Water Mains in Eltingville and Great Kills in Staten Island

DEP: 718-595-6600, DEPPressOffice@dep.nyc.gov
DOT: Brian Zumhagen, 212-839-4850, BZumhagen@dot.nyc.gov
DDC: Shoshana Khan, 718-391-1251, KhanSho@ddc.nyc.gov

(Staten Island, NY – February 16, 2021) The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) today announced the completion of a $47.9 million project to upgrade sewers and water mains in the neighborhoods of Eltingville and Great Kills in Staten Island. The project, which started construction in June 2016, was funded by DEP and DOT and managed by DDC.

The $47.9 million project in the neighborhoods of Eltingville and Great Kills in Staten Island added 2.3 miles of new storm sewers and replaced 1.4 miles of sanitary sewers and 2.7 miles water mains

“This $48 million investment in the neighborhoods of Great Kills and Eltingville has significantly improved drainage, street safety, the reliability of the drinking water supply system and the quality of life for residents and businesses,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “Thank you to our project partners at DOT and DDC, and to the support of the elected officials and members of the community for helping to make this project a reality.”

“With the addition of more than two miles of storm sewers and 150 new catch basins, the residents of Eltingville and Great Kills now enjoy safer streets and greatly improved drainage every time it rains,” said DDC Commissioner Lorraine Grillo. “I’d like to thank our staff and contractors for completing this work during the pandemic, and DEP and DOT for working with us to plan and complete this major $48 million project.”

New street markings after 46,440 square yards of roadway was repaved

“This storm sewer and water main upgrade project, which also includes roadway repaving, new sidewalks, pedestrian ramps and bus pads, will help improve the quality of life for everyone in Eltingville and Great Kills,” said DOT Staten Island Borough Commissioner Tom Cocola. “We are particularly delighted about the installation of left turning bays on Hylan Boulevard and Armstrong Avenue, which will help improve traffic flow. We thank our partners at DDC and DEP, and all the local residents who helped us make this critical infrastructure investment happen.”

“It has been clear for many years that a sewer system upgrade was desperately needed in the vicinity of Robinson Avenue, Goodall Street, and the surrounding blocks. I've visited with the residents here far too many times as they dealt with flooding concerns and the resulting property damage. Even moderate storms often led to horrendous flooding along these streets,” said State Senator Andrew J. Lanza. “I appreciate the partnership of DEP, DDC, and DOT as we navigated through some unique issues in this project area. Working together, along with Borough President James Oddo and Council Member Joseph Borelli, we were able to address the many concerns that local residents highlighted prior to and during construction. Most notably, the new pontoon gates will finally address a long present issue of seawater backing up into the storm sewers and onto the local streets during high tide events. The enhanced capacity of the outfalls will positively impact the surrounding community.”

“The investment of news storm sewers and miles of replaced water mains to address chronic flooding is most welcome news for the residents of Great Kills and Eltingville,” said Former Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis. “For years, these neighborhoods have experienced property damage and headaches caused by heavy rains and lack of proper infrastructure. We are pleased to see these projects completed.”

“After years of Staten Islanders struggling from frequent flooding, I'm confident that these long anticipated for upgrades to our sewer systems and water mains will really turn a new leaf for Great Kills and Eltingvillle residents,” said Council Member Joseph C. Borelli. “I would like to thank our partners at NYC DEP, NYC DOT and NYC DDC for their continued commitment to bring this project to fruition.”

Over 2.3 miles (12,400 feet) of new storm sewers were installed to help alleviate flooding in the area and 440 feet of old storm sewers were replaced. To better direct stormwater to the new sewers, 150 new catch basins were installed, and 18 old ones were replaced. While the roads were open for construction, an additional 1.4 miles (7,620 feet) of sanitary sewers were replaced.

Two large, new chambers with pontoon gates were installed to allow stormwater to drain from the new storm sewers, while preventing seawater from backing up into the storm sewers at high tide. One chamber at the end of Armstrong Avenue measures 17.5-feet wide by 25-feet long by 9.5-feet high and another at the end of Goodall Street measures 15-feet wide by 23.5-feet long by 7-feet high. The outfall pipes that discharge the water from the new storm sewers into Great Kills Harbor/Crescent Beach, which are connected to the chambers were upgraded and expanded as well. The outfall by Armstrong Avenue and Tennyson Drive nearly doubled in capacity while the outfall by the end of Goodall Street and Tennyson Drive nearly quadrupled in capacity to handle the increased volume of water from the new storm sewers when it rains.

A headwall for one of the new storm sewer chambers being constructed behind a temporary cofferdam

To improve water service reliability, more than 2.7 miles (14,500 feet) of old water mains were replaced. Fire protection was enhanced with the installation of 16 new fire hydrants and replacement of 33 old fire hydrants.

Street improvements include 46,440 square yards of repaved roadway and 59,130 square feet of reconstructed sidewalk. Nearly 3.7 miles (19,530 feet) of curbs were reconstructed and 580 feet of new curbs were installed. Erosion at the dead end of Glover Street by Crescent Beach Park was mitigated with the placement of stones and boulders and the planting of maritime seeds. Throughout the project area, 22 trees were removed but 263 new trees were planted, resulting in a gain of 241 trees overall. Four new reinforced concrete bus pads were installed and two old bus pads were replaced.

Compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) was improved with the replacement of 46 pedestrian ramps.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15.5 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.

About the NYC Department of Environmental Protection
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 8.3 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 a robust capital program, with a planned $20.1 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, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

About the NYC Department of Transportation
NYC DOT's mission is to provide for the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods, and to maintain and enhance the transportation infrastructure crucial to the economic vitality and quality of life of New York City residents. More than 5,000 DOT employees oversee one of the most complex urban transportation networks in the world, managing 6,000 miles of streets and highways, 12,000 miles of sidewalk, and 794 bridges and tunnels, including the iconic East River bridges. Our staff also installs and maintains more than one million street signs, 12,000 signalized intersections, 315,000 street lights, and 200 million linear feet of street markings. DOT promotes the use of sustainable modes of transportation, designing bicycle facilities, bus lanes, and public plazas. DOT also operates the Staten Island Ferry, which serves over 22 million people annually.