NYCHA residents say raw sewage leaks out of their building in Williamsburg
NEW YORK - The stench of feces hangs in the air outside 50 Manhattan Ave. in Williamsburg. Nearby, a hole in the side of the building's wall leaks into a nearby puddle. Steps away, wet sludge coats the outside of a pipe.
Eloisa Rowe, president of the Tenant Association of the Borinquen Plaza Houses, points out used toilet paper hanging out of a grate on the building.
"Some of these tenants throw ... things that are not supposed to go in the toilet, because I've seen rags coming out through where the sewage is," Rowe tells CBS2's Hannah Kliger on a tour of the development.
Borinquen Plaza Houses I and II were built nearly 50 years ago, in the '70s, and residents believe the pipes are just as old. They say anytime NYCHA comes out to make any repairs to the various plumbing issues there, it's a Band-Aid job and doesn't get to the root cause of the problem.
Rowe pointed out the sidewalks near the leaking pipes, stained a stomach-turning brown.
The putrid problem gets exacerbated by rainfall or extreme cold when the muck freezes over.
"When I pick up my daughter from school, I have to walk her through the street. It's terrible," says Shanequa Lewis, T.A. Vice President. "It smells like somebody's bathroom."
Lewis showed CBS2 tickets she placed as far back as September 2020, pleading with NYCHA, writing that there is a lot of damage from recurring sewage leakage.
"We do the ticket numbers, we do the complaints, I do the follow-up emails. Everything doesn't always get answered," Lewis says, citing frequent delays. "What you need attended to, all of a sudden there's another emergency."
The old pipes also caused issues inside apartments. Tenants pointed to broken walls where workers conducted inspections of the building. One tenant showed a document that stated mold was found in her bathroom.
Two weeks ago, residents say contractors started working on the plumbing in one of the buildings. Rowe was told eventually the problem spots will be addressed one-by-one.
A housing authority spokesperson responded to CBS2 in a statement: "NYCHA staff and the plumbing vendor have identified collapsed waste lines that are not immediately accessible. We are currently working to determine methods of access to these lines with minimal disturbance to residents, and will continue to work toward a lasting solution to this issue."
"It's going to take a while, I know," said Rowe about the work needed. "As long as I see something is getting done for us tenants at Borinquen houses."
After years of unanswered requests, they remain anxious but hopeful that soon, the sewage will stop.
Have a story idea or tip in Brooklyn? Email Hannah by CLICKING HERE.