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Q&A
Sewer connection approval timelines
0:37:32
ยท
3 min
Council Member Restler inquires about the current timelines for DEP approval of sewer connections for new constructions and whether staff vacancies have impacted these timelines.
- Current approval timelines have increased to 5-6 days, up from 4-5 days in 2022.
- The increase is attributed to multiple factors, including staff vacancies and an increase in the volume of applications.
- DEP is working on implementing an all-digital version of the approval process to reduce review times and improve efficiency.
Lincoln Restler
0:37:32
I I have every confidence that DEP is continuing to do a stellar job, but it is, as those examples indicate, it's really hard, to make do with so so such a dramatic reduction in head count.
0:37:49
We're talking about an 8% reduction head since the pre pandemic levels.
0:37:53
We're talking about a 12% vacant 13% vacancy rate today.
0:37:56
We wanna see a staffed up DEP so that you can sustainably execute on each of your priority areas and and achieve your core functions.
0:38:09
Just to dive in on a couple more, DEP is responsible for approving sewer connections for new constructions.
0:38:14
Can you share with us the current timelines for DEP approval on those projects and have staff vacancies impacted those timelines?
Rohit Aggarwala
0:38:26
Hold on.
0:38:26
I'm I'm sure we have the data here somewhere.
Lincoln Restler
0:38:29
Tassos doesn't know this off the top of his head.
Rohit Aggarwala
0:38:33
Disappointed.
0:38:34
Well, look, let me say while while we're finding the data, which we may get back to you, among the things that we're doing and actually that that Tasos has been leading is taking a broad look at all of our approvals.
0:38:48
I know I do hear from members of the council on occasion with respect to our storm water permits for the unified storm water rule, sometimes around asbestos control, things like that.
0:39:02
And among the things we are doing is taking a comprehensive look at all of those functions where we have a customer service function that is not about people's water bills to see how we can manage those better.
0:39:15
At the Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations, Tassos, as deputy commissioner, led an effort to to put a lot of that online which of course just like the Department of Buildings has done, streamlines those processes dramatically.
0:39:29
And among the things we are doing is looking at our internal processes and our customer inter interfaces to see how we can make that easier across the board.
0:39:40
Great.
0:39:40
Any news?
Anastasios Georgelis
0:39:42
Your specific question, council member, is on the sewer connections.
Lincoln Restler
0:39:52
Yes.
Anastasios Georgelis
0:39:53
So the number the days have been creeping up, and the latest numbers I have here is five to six days.
Lincoln Restler
0:40:05
And what from what was is there a former baseline that we used to
Anastasios Georgelis
0:40:08
be up?
0:40:09
Thousand twenty two, we were we were running four to five days.
Lincoln Restler
0:40:14
Okay.
0:40:15
And do you attribute that increased timeline to staff vacancies?
Anastasios Georgelis
0:40:21
It's number of factors.
0:40:23
Right?
0:40:23
Staff is one of the factors, but we've been seeing an increase in the volume that we're receiving.
0:40:29
And like the commissioner said, we're trying to improve processes all the time.
0:40:34
And specifically with the sewer connections, we're trying to go to an all digital version, which is reducing the time we spend reviewing and getting them out quicker to the folks that are asking for it.