Bedford Avenue Flooded For Four Days, City Says Homeowner Is To Blame


by on Mar 12th, 2012

Photo by Andrey G.

Water has been bubbling up from beneath the asphalt on Bedford Avenue for at least four days. While neighbors complain, the city says the problem is the responsibility of one local homeowner.

Neighbors initially claimed the flood was the result of a broken main, keeping Bedford Avenue between Shore Parkway and Voorhies Avenue under water since last Thursday.

Reader Andrey G. was the first reader to tell us about the flooding, and said he and his neighbors’ calls to 311 have yielded nothing:

I live on Bedford Ave between Voorhies and Shore Pkwy, and I noticed water seeping through the pavement smack in the middle of Bedford Ave [on Thursday]. Two of my neighbors reported this to 311 on that same night, and so did I [Friday]. So far the City has taken no action while the amount of water flowing has increased substantially. If this keeps on going for a couple more days a sinkhole is bound to form.

That e-mail came on Saturday, and as of this morning there has been no fix, according to another tipster, Tom P.:

On Bedford Ave between Shore Pkwy and Voorhies Ave [address omitted by editor]. Water coming up from the street on the double yellow line. I reported it to 311 on Saturday and they said they would respond in 8 hours. Today still leaking a medium gusher so I called CB15 to report it again.

Threat of sinkhole or not, the city has not made any effort to make the repair themselves since they say it’s the result of a broken pipe on private property.

“That particular location that you asked about is not a water main break, it’s a broken service lane” belonging to one of the homeowners, a Department of Environmental Protection press officer told Sheepshead Bites. The agency visited the homeowner on Friday and served a three day notice to make the repairs. “The service line is the water line that belongs to the property, not part of the city system. It’s considered private property, and [the property owner] has until tomorrow to find a permanent fix.”

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  • Anonymous

    Just call News12, ABC, FOX, and NY1

    and watch how FAST it gets repaired by the City…….  311 is full of Lazyies!

     

  • Bedford Ave

    The owner who’s responsibility it is, is not 4732. The actual individual responsible is pricing out their options now.

    • http://www.nedberke.com Ned Berke

      This is true. We should have made clear that the address given in the article was meant to be approximate. We did not publish the actual address as we don’t think it’s necessary or appropriate to single out the homeowner. We will correct the above. Thanks!

  • News 12

    Has anyone seen this broken pipeline? Does anyone know exactly where it is? I work for News 12 and we are looking to do a story about this. Call us if you have any information (718) 861-6800

  • Barkingspider07

    Unfortunately, the city will do nothing about this other than turn off the water.  The person who owns the house that is connected to this pipe will have to call a licensed plumber to make the repair.  You can keep calling 311, CB, all the news channels, but your breath is being wasted.  Go after your neighbor and tell him to fix it.  Like I said before, all the city will do is turn off the water to that main.

  • Anonymous

    I dont understand something here, if its not leaking inside his home.. than the problem is outside, so how would he fix it? Call contractor , dig up half of bedford find the broken pipe?  But then again, I bet that this particular pipe was not installed there by the homeowner..so.. whoever installed it must take care of it? The way I see it its a same thing with electrical wires, if electrical wire coming from the street in to my house brakes.. what.. i have to fix it? I dont think so.

    • levp

      Title 15 of the Rules of the City of New York
      Chapter 20, Rules Governing and Restricting the Use and Supply of Water
      http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/forms_and_permits/rules.shtml

      §20-03 Water Service Pipes

      (v) Protection of service pipe and house control valve.

      The property owner is responsible for preventing physical deterioration of the service, curb valve, house control valve or distribution pipe which may damage a meter or prevent its maintenance or replacement. The owner shall be responsible for repairing or replacing equipment, service or distribution piping to allow maintenance, proper operation or replacement of the meter. The property owner, and not the Department, is responsible for the maintenance of the service and distribution pipe and its associated fittings and equipment. The meter setting is the responsibility of the Department.

      See also:
      “NYC May Lessen Burden On Homeowners, Change Policy On Underground Water Leaks”
      http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/09/13/nyc-may-lessen-burden-on-homeowners-change-policy-on-underground-water-leaks/

      • levp

        Also in §20-02 Taps to City Water Mains:

        (p) Service pipe leak.

        (1) Upon discovery of a leaking service pipe, the Department will shut the corporation stop (tap) or wet connection unless it determines that there is no immediate threat to life or property. When there is no immediate threat to life or property, a Three-Day Notice to Repair will be served upon the owner oroccupant of the premises. If the notice is not complied with, the Department will shut the corporation stop (tap) or wet connection.

        (2) When the corporation stop (tap) or wet connection is shut off by the Department, the owner/occupant must engage a Licensed Master Plumber to assume responsibility for the street excavation and make the necessary repairs. If the owner/occupant fails to engage a Licensed Master Plumber, the corporation stop (tap) or wet connection will remain closed, the excavation will be backfilled, and the street will be properly restored.

        • Anonymous

          So…. homeowner is stuck now with costly repair.. 

          • levp

            Yep.

            Write to your Councilperson.

  • Bedford Ave

    They’ve been working on it all day today. 

  • Andy

    this morning I noticed that a sinkhole started forming at the site of repairs, and I would like to urge my fellow drivers to be extra careful while driving through this block

    • http://www.nedberke.com Ned Berke

      Please report it to 311. It takes them a while to get around to it.

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