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'Playing with fire': Times Square flooding highlights NYC's archaic water supply pipes
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Aug 30, 2023
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Marc A. Hermann / MTA
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Aug 30, 2023
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New York City’s water supply relies on a series of century-old pipes — and one of them burst early Tuesday near Times Square, flooding the subways and streets at the crossroads of the world.
City officials said the 20-inch water main that broke open was 127 years old, which pre-dates the consolidation of the five boroughs. It's also older than the city’s subway system, where an estimated 1.8 million gallons of water flowed after the pipe split open.
But data from the American Society of Civil Engineers shows its old age is not a rarity. A 2022 report from the organization found 40% of the city’s 6,800 miles of water mains were installed before 1941, the year the U.S. entered World War II.
And for years, experts have called on city leaders to take the aging state of the city’s water supply more seriously, warning major breaks like the one on Tuesday could become more frequent if the old pipes aren’t replaced quickly.
“It’s kind of like clockwork,” said Jonathan Bowles, executive director of the Center for an Urban Future, a local think tank. “When a significant portion of the water main infrastructure was built more than 80 or 100 years ago, there’s a great likelihood that some of those water mains are going to burst.”
New York City has recorded more than 400 water main breaks each of the last three years — or an average of more than one per day, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.
A DEP spokesperson pointed out that equates to about five breaks per 100 miles of water main each year, fewer than the national average of 25 annual breaks per 100 miles of water mains. They also said the city invested $769 million on sewer and water main upgrades last fiscal year, which ended on June 30, up from $567 million the year prior.
Flooding inside the Times Square subway station after a water main burst.
Marc A. Hermann / MTA
But the data from the mayor’s preliminary management report released in January shows the replacement of aging water mains slowed during 2022, Mayor Eric Adams’ first year in office. The report states 71% fewer water mains were replaced in the city from July 2022 to October 2022 compared to the same four-month period of 2021. The report says the decline was due to the city redirecting resources to build more pedestrian ramps and upgrade the city's storm sewers.
At New York City’s current rate, every water main across the five boroughs would be replaced every 100 to 200 years, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers report.
“When you have so much that is centuries old, you’re almost playing with fire,” said Bowles. “There are going to be breaks, and it’s why I think experts believe that the city has to do regular replacement and upgrades of those water mains.”
During a news conference following Tuesday’s flooding, DEP Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala said the cause of the burst pipe was under investigation. But he argued New Yorkers shouldn’t be concerned by the water main's 19th century installation.
“The original design and the maintenance of the system is more important than the age,” he said.
Few of the 400-plus water main breaks recorded in the city each year are as damaging as Tuesday’s, which gnarled the commutes of an estimated 300,000 subway riders, according to the MTA.
But in recent years, several water main breaks have wreaked havoc on entire neighborhoods. In January 2020, a burst pipe near Lincoln Center inundated subway tracks, flooded nearby basements, and ruined cars in a nearby parking garage. And 10 months after that, a burst pipe in Oakland Gardens, Queens flooded a residential street, damaging parked cars and nearby homes.
Bowles said it’s easy to forget about the city’s aging water lines — but noted Tuesday’s flood ought to be a wake up call for New Yorkers.
“The infrastructure below ground is some of the most unsexy and easy to forget about infrastructure,” he said. “You definitely don’t forget about it on days like yesterday.”
Tagged
new york city
manhattan
transportation
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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