Williamsburg NYCHA tenants say raw sewage is still pouring onto sidewalks outside building
NEW YORK -- Sometimes it's shreds of soggy toilet paper, sometimes it's foul smelling foam. Worst of all, it's often flushed contents of dozens of toilets pouring onto the sidewalks outside the Borinquen Plaza Houses in Williamsburg.
"These buildings need to be gutted out. They need to be redeveloped," said Shanequa Lewis, vice president of the tenant association, who documented the issue in recent videos shared with CBS New York's Hannah Kliger.
When CBS New York first reported this story, we saw workers fixing the piping. This week, they were hard at work when our crews went back to the area.
Lewis took us on a tour of the development, where sidewalks are stained brown and windows always remain shut.
"A cat would not sit in its litter box. So why do we have to sit in somebody else's litter?" said Lewis.
Residents said this isn't a new issue. It's been happening for as long as they can remember.
"You see that? This is all stains from the water, right here. So we will have to cross the street around, go around and then walk in through there," said Javier Santiago, who has lived at Borinquen Plaza for almost 50 years.
The plumbing problems also extend inside apartments, where one resident showed us water bubbles behind paint.
Jhamiyah Lewis,14, said the problem also affects young people.
"We can't really do anything but stay in the house. And then when we do come outside, it's really, like, disgusting, and it just smells really bad, so we can't really stay out there," said Jhamiyah.
A NYCHA spokesperson sent this statement to CBS New York: "NYCHA is working diligently to address the sewage issues at Borinquen Plaza. We are working with our qualified vendor to rectify this difficult and complex issue, and ultimately improve the quality of life for residents at Borinquen."
Sources said NYCHA allocated $1 million for required repairs and each building takes 6 to 8 weeks to complete.
"People put their tickets in, they'll handle it, they'll mop it, they'll sweep it. But the internal conflict is never resolved," said Lewis.
Residents said sludge seeps out weekly, rain or shine, despite ongoing efforts to stop the flow.
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