Water is still flowing through taps across Middle Village after a scheduled service disruption today in parts of the neighborhood was canceled at the last minute.
Described as a “test,” the shutdown was to occur on July 11 from the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will affect residents of Juniper Boulevard South between 72nd Street and 75th Place; 74th Street between Juniper Boulevard South and Penelope Avenue; and Pleasantview Street between Penelope Avenue and 74th Street.
In an email to Community Board 5 that was forwarded to QNS, Lisbeth Lora, a community construction liaison working on behalf of the Department of Design and Construction (DDC), indicated that a new date for the shutdown has yet to be scheduled. Residents in the affected area would be notified by email and in person 72 hours prior to the new shutdown date.
According to a DDC advisory issued last week, the test shutdown is required to ensure that all proper valves to water mains in the street are working properly. Should the test be successful, the crews working on the project will request a water main shutdown for another time in order to replace the water mains below these streets.
Through a private contractor, the DDC is currently undertaking a $22 million project to replace sewer and water mains in the vicinity of Penelope Avenue in order to alleviate periodic flooding problems during heavy thunderstorms. The project began in the spring of this year and is expected to conclude by the spring of 2018.
When the shutdown does occur, homeowners are advised to turn off the water main valve in their buildings prior to the scheduled disruption. This will minimize any problems related to sediment buildup in the plumbing system once water service is restored. Residents should also turn off any water-cooled appliances.
After crews restore water service, homeowners should turn the main house valve back on, then run all faucets in all sinks and tubs for 15 to 30 minutes to flush out the entire plumbing system.
For more information, click here or contact Lora at 718-326-3840.
