In an effort to reduce flooding in Glendale, Queens Community Board 5 (CB 5) will send a request to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to review the sewage system in the neighborhood.
According to the CB 5 District Manager Gary Giordano, flooding often occurs in Glendale when there is “significant” rain.
“The stormwater during significant rains flows down from Myrtle Avenue in a northerly direction, but it’s downhill,” Giordano said. “Then, right before you get to the freight rail tracks, there are homes along 77th Avenue that have had significant water in them at times.”
Giordano said that flooding mostly takes place along 71st Avenue from 81st Street to 88th Street. He also noted flooding occurs when there is more water in the sewer system than it can handle.
“The city sewer system can take about an inch and a half of rainwater per hour, which is standard for most city sewers without backing up,” Giordano said.
Additionally, Giordano said the board has been trying to get a handle on the situation for years, particularly since remnants from Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc in the neighborhood, resulting in many basements flooding in residential homes.
CB 5 sent a specific budget request to the DEP to review the sewer system in that area of Glendale three years ago.
Giordano also noted that CB 5 has pushed for several big sewage projects in the past few years, including one Penelope Avenue and 74th Street in Middle Village that is worth up to $20 million, as well as an additional project along Calamus Avenue in Maspeth.
A DEP spokesperson confirmed with QNS that there is an upcoming project in the works that would help the alleviate the area of flooding along 77th Avenue. However, details of the project, which is still in its design phase, are currently unavailable.
