City Advises Washington Heights Residents to Water Shutoff

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The New York City Department of Design and Construction is warning residents they will be shutting off water on Amsterdam Ave from West 174th to West 178th Street this Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The water main test shutdown is taking place so that the street valves can be tested to ensure that they turn on and off correctly.

They also ask for people to shut off all water-cooled appliances, like large refrigerators or air conditioners.

This shut down is related to the Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to Schools Project, which strives to improve safety conditions around New York City schools with the highest accident rates.

Out of 1,471 elementary and middle schools, the DOT picked 135 priority schools to focus on based on the accident history around the school. Forty-six schools are in Brooklyn, 33 in Queens, 25 in the Bronx, 23 in Manhattan and eight in Staten Island.

"Part of the project includes replacing old water mains in the area so that requires water mains to be temporarily shut down,” said Ian Michaels, the Executive Director of Public Information at the NYC DDC.

The NYC DDC advises residents and businesses to shut off the water main valve in their house or building to avoid problems that might arise if and when sediment enters or is released from the plumbing during the test water shutdown.

After the water returns at 4 p.m., the NYC DDC recommends people turn their main house valve back on and flush the system by turning on faucets, sinks and tubs and letting them run for a few minutes.

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