Council Member Nantasha Williams has recently passed a bill that will bring more attention to the flooding issues plaguing Southeast Queens neighborhoods.
The New York City Council passed Intro 1067-B, sponsored by Williams, on Wednesday, May 28, during its Stated Meeting. The legislation will raise awareness and create an organized task force to address the persistent issue of groundwater flooding, which has impacted Southeast Queens residents for decades.
Intro 1067-B requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to issue a request for proposals for a community-based organization to identify homes impacted by groundwater flooding, connect residents with available retrofit programs, and report on the scale and cost of the damage.
It also establishes a five-year interagency task force to study long-term adaptation strategies. A provision of the task force is a mandate to center the experiences of Southeast Queens homeowners who have been impacted by groundwater flooding.
In addition to the task force, the legislation includes citywide data collection and reporting on groundwater flooding trends. It also encourages the DEP to share its findings with community organizations and mandates that flood adaptation resources be made more readily available through existing public channels, including the Department of Buildings’ monthly info sessions. The DEP will also be required to give ongoing status updates on groundwater-level studies in Southeast Queens.
The decades-long groundwater flooding issue can be traced back to the area’s rising water table, which has continued to increase after the closure of local wells and shifts in land use over time. Unlike stormwater flooding, groundwater flooding slowly damages homes’ infrastructure, creeping into basements, boilers, and foundations.
“In Southeast Queens, residents have been sounding the alarm about groundwater flooding for years, asking for real recognition and coordinated action,” said Williams. “This legislation marks a turning point… the first meaningful city response to this issue in over 40 years. It moves us beyond inaction and toward real solutions, centering the voices of those impacted and demanding accountability from city agencies. This effort ensures Southeast Queens will no longer be overlooked, and that our communities receive the sustained attention and investment necessary to protect their homes and futures.”
