Q&A
DEP's efforts to address groundwater flooding in Southeast Queens
1:05:49
·
160 sec
Council Member Nantasha Williams inquires about DEP's progress in identifying and assisting properties affected by groundwater flooding in Queens Community Districts 12 and 13. Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala explains the department's efforts to survey and understand the flooding issues in the area.
- DEP has conducted targeted outreach and received responses from 75 homeowners
- The department found that many reported issues were not specifically groundwater flooding
- DEP is working with nonprofit organizations experiencing ongoing basement flooding
Nantasha Williams
1:05:49
The first question I have in high commissioner, sorry, I'm not there in person.
1:05:52
I have a little person that is sick.
1:05:56
So this is about mapping impacted priorities.
1:05:59
So I wanted to know what progress has DEP made in factoring the residential properties in Queens, community district 12, and 13 that had been affected by Brownwater flooding, how are these properties being identified, and what resources are available to help homeowners?
Rohit T Aggarwala
1:06:19
Thank you, Council member.
1:06:21
As you know, as your question indicates, one of the things that we have been working on since earlier this year really about February, we started is an effort to understand who is experiencing groundwater flooding, particularly in in your district, in some of the areas that have longstanding complaints about the closure of the Jamaica water supply.
1:06:44
To date, we have we've done some some targeted outreach, including at 1 of the flooding training sessions that I mentioned.
1:06:52
We've had 75 homeowners contact us or or fill out the surveys that we have been handing out and and asking for.
1:07:02
We've targeted some of those through conversation with the borough president's office, who, as you know, has been involved on this issue for a while.
1:07:10
And it is this is actually one of the reasons that I I think very strongly that we need to think more broadly than groundwater in in helping homeowners.
1:07:21
As you know, we've done these city wide efforts or it was really a pilot.
1:07:25
We did a number of these flood awareness meetings.
1:07:31
Because what we found was actually the majority of the people in in the area of Southeast Queens that we talked to, who who replied to the survey, what they described was not likely to be groundwater flooding.
1:07:45
Alright?
1:07:46
Groundwater flooding seeps up usually through the foundation.
1:07:50
There could be a sewer backup which comes through the toilets or drains.
1:07:54
It could be overland flooding that comes through windows or doors.
1:07:58
And that's actually what a large number of the people we surveyed were describing.
1:08:04
So that's as far as we've got, also thanks to your help.
1:08:10
We do have a list of of 7 nonprofit organizations that have experienced ongoing basement flooding, and we have been reaching out to them to understand more precisely what they are experiencing and what at least currently they are thinking about what they can do about it.
