The Tottenville Bluebelt will hold and naturally filter the stormwater before it eventually drains into the Arthur Kill. Bounded by Amboy Road on the south, the Staten Island Railway on the north, Murray Street on the west and Pan Street on the east, a gravel walkway meanders through the Bluebelt, which was planted with 240 shrubs, and 12,200 native wildflowers and plants.
As part of the project, more than 8,200 linear feet of new storm sewers and 90 new catch basins were installed. In addition, more than 11,600 linear feet of new sanitary sewers allowed 210 homes to connect to the City’s sewer system and discontinue the use of septic tanks.
“The Bluebelts on Staten Island are among the most successful common sense infrastructure projects in our borough’s history. The brilliant team at DEP developed the concept of engineering our existing stream corridors to redirect stormwater away from neighborhoods and into natural areas," said Staten Island Borough President James Oddo. “The result is help for residents in low-lying areas prone to flooding and the creation of ponds and wetlands that beautify our borough and increase property values. I applaud Mayor de Blasio, DEP and DDC for continuing to invest in and expand the Bluebelt program—particularly at a time of increasingly severe and damaging storm systems affecting our Island.”
To improve the drinking water distribution system, more than 12,400 linear feet of new water mains made from concrete-lined ductile iron, which is more resilient and less prone to breakage, were added to replace older cast iron pipes. A micro-tunnel boring machine was utilized to excavate a passage beneath the Richmond Valley stop of the Staten Island Railway station for sewer and water lines without disrupting train service.
Fire protection was enhanced with the installation of 43 new fire hydrants and replacement of 28 old fire hydrants. Roadways, sidewalks and curbs were rebuilt and portions of Page Avenue and Amboy Road were widened and turning lanes were added to improve safety and improve the flow of traffic. Throughout the project area, 118 new trees were planted.
Great Kills
In Great Kills, the City invested $46 million to improve drainage and rehabilitate Jack’s Pond, which included the substantial removal of accumulated pond sediment to re-establish historic elevations, grading, and pond depth to increase the storage capacity of the Pond. In order to naturally treat the water and reduce algae blooms, thousands of native wetland plants were added and a solar powered aerator was installed in the pond. The plants absorb the algae while the solar powered aerator oxygenates the water via three underwater diffusers. New upland vegetation was also planted and native fish, including hundreds of largemouth bass and bluegill sunfish and thousands of fathead minnows, were stocked in the restored pond.
