Community Board to Discuss Ongoing Sewage Problems at NYCHA Complex

Residents of Borinquen Plaza have been dealing with sewage backing up and spilling onto sidewalks and streets for years, and the problem is still not resolved.

The NYCHA complex along Bushwick Avenue is home to nearly 2,000 people, and the number of complaints has continued to climb. City 311 records show 19 sewer and sewage complaints at Borinquen Plaza so far this year, the highest annual total since at least 2010.

On September 28, complaints came in for all 15 buildings at the complex within just 20 minutes. In nine of those cases, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection found no sign of a problem with the city sewer system and suspected the backups were coming from the buildings’ own plumbing.

NYCHA says it is working on a plan to fix a collapsed waste line at 330 Bushwick Avenue. The pipe is in a crawl space that is difficult to access, and a repair attempt in September did not solve the problem.

The issue is set to be discussed at the Community Board 1 meeting later this evening, where NYCHA representatives are invited to explain what has been done so far and provide a timeline for repairs.