Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
AGENCY TESTIMONY
Limitations of New York City's traditional sewer system
0:10:09
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67 sec
Licata explains the current sewer infrastructure in New York City, its capabilities, and its limitations in the face of increasingly severe storms. She emphasizes the need for a combined approach using both gray and green infrastructure.
- NYC has approximately 7,500 miles of sewers designed for a temperate climate
- The system can handle 98% of rain events but is not designed for extreme storms
- Sewers generally can handle between 1.2 and 1.75 inches of rain per hour
- Upsizing sewers alone is not financially or logistically feasible
Angela Licata
0:10:09
Traditionally, sewers, often referred to as gray infrastructure, are the main line of defense in a storm.
0:10:15
New York City has approximately 7,500 miles of sewers, which were designed to effectively manage stormwater for a temperate climate.
0:10:25
Our sewers continue to protect fully against 98% of rain events, but the system is not designed to handle the most extreme storms we now face.
0:10:34
The sewer system can get overwhelmed when the amount of water produced by the storm is greater than the capacity of the pipes.
0:10:40
This generally means that for most, sewers can handle between one point two and one point seven five inches of rain per hour.
0:10:48
This used to be rare for most of the city, but is now a regular occurrence.
0:10:53
We have to expand our sewer stormwater management system if we want to meet the needs of today, let alone tomorrow.
0:11:00
Upsizing sewers alone is not financially and logistically feasible.
0:11:05
Building above ground is almost always cheaper and faster than building below.
0:11:10
Our best strategy is to use a combination of both gray and green infrastructure in the right place and measure.