“Every time there is a heavy rain, sewage backs up in many local homes,” said Chaim Deutsch, Democratic candidate for the City Council 48th District seat. Torrential rains are heavier and storms have been more frequent. There are ongoing sewage backups in homes from Midwood to Manhattan Beach and Brighton Beach and residents are fed up with having to watch their sewers each time there is heavy rain fall.

Deutsch blamed the antiquated infrastructure in the area. He pointed out that, “The City has failed to maintain the infrastructure and has ignored population growth in the area.” He called for an assessment of both the sanitary and storm water lines in impacted areas. “But so far, the City’s only action has been to clean out the catch basins on street corners. This is unacceptable and does not address the underlying problem,” said Deutsch. “We need to ensure that our neighborhoods can continue to grow and thrive and find the solution to these horrible sewer back-ups.”

Deutsch pointed out that some residents have tried to solve the problem on their own, by installing a device called a Back Water Valve. A licensed plumber can install it on a home’s sanitary line. While the device can prevent sewage from backing up into a home, it has some serious drawbacks. If pressure in the sanitary line outside the home is high, the valve will close. Therefore, water cannot be used inside the home, as wastewater will not drain. In addition, the valve can become clogged, so ongoing, professional maintenance is needed.

“It is time for our residents to spend their valuable time focusing on more important issues rather than watching their sewers,” added Deutsch.

Chaim Deutsch is a proud father and grandfather and well known community activist. He is running for the 48th District City Council seat, which includes Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Homecrest and Midwood.

(YWN Desk – NYC)