Sewer Backups on City Infrastructure Jump 32 Percent
Increased Rainfall Causes Rise in Sewer Backup Complaints
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) resolved 2,851 sewer backup complaints between July 2023 and June 2024, up from 2,164 the year prior. The agency attributed the uptick to more wet weather: the five boroughs were doused in some 61.3 inches of rainfall, compared to 39.9 inches from July 2022 to June 2023.
Resolving Sewer Backups
The time it took city workers to resolve sewer backups last fiscal year remained fairly unchanged, at a little over three hours. Despite the increase, fiscal year 2024 saw fewer clogged sewer incidents than fiscal year 2022 (July 2021 to June 2022), when there were nearly 5,000. That year included Hurricane Ida, which brought record rains that killed 13 New Yorkers.
Clogged Catch Basins
Increased rain also drove an uptick in complaints about clogged catch basins, with 11,066 this most recent fiscal year, up from 8,585 the year prior. It took about two and a half days on average to clear these, about a half-day less than last year, which the DEP attributed to "a data-driven inspection schedule and complaint-driven cleaning," among other measures.
Infrastructure Upgrades
City officials have allocated more than $1.2 billion to mitigate the effects of stormwater flooding since Mayor Eric Adams took office, including dozens of miles of new sewers and additional green infrastructure to absorb rain before it enters the system. "Our infrastructure was designed to function in a climate that we don’t live in anymore, but we are working hard to update it to protect New Yorkers from flooding," said the city’s Chief Climate Officer and DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala.
Climate Change
Climate change is driving increasingly wet weather: annual precipitation in New York City is projected to increase by 4 to 11 percent by the 2050s, and by 7 to 17 percent by the 2080s, according to a report from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority earlier this year.
Conclusion
The increased rainfall and subsequent sewer backup complaints are a result of climate change, which is expected to continue to affect the city’s infrastructure in the coming years. The city’s efforts to update its infrastructure and mitigate the effects of stormwater flooding are crucial to protecting New Yorkers from flooding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What caused the increase in sewer backup complaints?
A: The increased rainfall in the five boroughs, with 61.3 inches of rainfall compared to 39.9 inches the previous year.
Q: How did the city resolve sewer backup complaints?
A: The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) resolved sewer backup complaints in an average of three hours.
Q: What is the city doing to mitigate the effects of stormwater flooding?
A: The city has allocated more than $1.2 billion to upgrade its infrastructure, including new sewers and green infrastructure to absorb rain before it enters the system.
Q: What is the expected impact of climate change on New York City’s precipitation?
A: Annual precipitation in New York City is projected to increase by 4 to 11 percent by the 2050s, and by 7 to 17 percent by the 2080s.
