Lawmakers Demand Answers On Southeast Queens Sewage Flood Fiasco

SOUTH OZONE PARK, QUEENS — Days after raw sewage started flooding South Ozone Park, outraged lawmakers are demanding answers on what caused the sewer line blockage that ravaged 74 homes and forced out the residents who live there.

Next week, lawmakers on the City Council's environmental protection committee will grill officials from the city's Department of Environmental Protection, including Commissioner Vincent Sapienza, on the cause of the catastrophe and the city's response, including allegations that residents pouring grease down their drains was to blame.

A hearing is scheduled for the morning of Dec. 11.

"Instead of enjoying a quiet holiday weekend, hundreds of Queens residents dealt with an unhealthy flood that destroyed their belongings and damaged their homes," City Council Member Costa Constantinides, the committee's chair, said in a statement Thursday. "We deserve answers as to what caused this mess as well as why the City initially responded in an unclear manner that seemed to blame the community."

Wastewater started pouring into South Ozone Park residents' homes early Saturday morning, leaving some of them with knee-high levels of sewage, according to Department of Environmental Protection officials.

Workers got the flooding to stop the following night by installing a bypass system to carry wastewater around the blocked sewer line and into the Jamaica treatment plant where it normally goes.

Meanwhile, residents slept in their cars or fled to hotel rooms to escape the foul-smelling, potentially toxic water that had filled their homes.

"It is outrageous that so many South Ozone Park residents were displaced and suffered property damage when their homes were flooded by sewage just after the holiday," City Council Member Adrienne Adams, who represents southeast Queens, said. "Apologies will not make these residents whole."

To get reimbursed for any damage, affected homeowners should file a claim with Comptroller Scott Stringer's office within 90 days by clicking here.

Residents who were affected by the sewage backup and need assistance may also call City Council Member Adrienne Adams' office at 718-206-2068.

To view a full list of available resources, click here.