update 100 E Hartsdale Ave sewer break--repairs still have to be made

Some residents of 100 East Hartsdale Ave and surrounding apartments have contacted me asking for an update on the sewer repair work planned in front of 100 E Hartsdale Ave. As you will recall, there was an extensive break last June. Since that time, the Town held multiple virtual and in person meetings with residents to discuss the issue and the planned repair. It was decided to wait to have more meetings until the design progressed further. After the last meeting, the Town installed a temporary sidewalk so residents would not have to cross the road and have continued to perform the necessary duties to ensure this project is successful while remaining safe throughout the project.

Once the final phase of repair work begins, residents of E Hartsdale Ave will not have access to the sidewalk until completion. All work that has taken place so far, and continues to take place, are temporary measures to keep the sanitary sewer system in service and performing investigative work to assist in developing a permanent repair.

Multiple consultants and contractors for the Town are actively working on the final details for the permanent repair project. This is a particularly challenging project and far from a routine sewer break repair that can be restored in a matter of days. I’ve been told that typical sanitary sewer main is typically buried 5-10 feet deep and usually located in the street where there is ample space and access to dig up and expose the pipe to perform the repair. Meanwhile, the broken section of this sewer pipe is 30-35 feet deep and a portion of the break is underneath a large multi-story apartment building. A project of this magnitude and sensitivity, if it was a pre-planned project and not an emergency repair, would normally take at least one year of planning and design. While frustrating, the current timeline of this project is appropriate.

The pink markings residents may have noticed in and around 100 E Hartsdale are from the design consultant tasked with designing the permanent repair. Consultants have been on-site to scan for underground utilities using ground penetrating radar. They scanned East Hartsdale Avenue, the parking garage, and the back parking lot. This is a non-evasive way to locate underground utilities without having to dig exploratory test pits. The parking garage is particularly challenging to scan due to the thickness of the concrete and the rebar present in the floor slab.

The sanitary sewer main that runs under the building is being rerouted around the building. New underground piping will run under the back parking lot and then under the alleyway next to the 120 East Hartsdale driveway. At that point it will be reconnected to the existing piping in the sidewalk of East Hartsdale Avenue past the current break. Once the sewer main is rerouted, the building’s own sewage will need another means to reconnect to the sewer main that will now be located out in the parking lot and in the alley.

The Town is acting expeditiously and greatly appreciates your continued cooperation. We will continue to keep you up to date.

PAUL FEINER

Greenburgh Town Supervisor