Stuyvesant Town residents at 622 East 20th Street woke up this morning to find their tap water is getting filthier by the day. A resident in the building sent us photos of the unusable water in her apartment she took this morning.
She's been getting conflicting information about what's causing the contaminated water. The EPA has given her several excuses including gas drilling in the Catskills and ConEd's ongoing construction on the complex. State Senator Tom Duane's office told her, "the whole west side is complaining about the water for weeks," information not particularly helpful to her. The Department of Environmental Protection is also concerned about people getting sick from the water.
The one thing everyone does agree on is that when the cold water turns brown, it's an issue with the city, but when the hot water turns brown, like the water in Stuyvesant Town, it's the landlord's issue. Stuyvesant Town has refused to blow the line which may temporarily clear the water but this problem is much bigger than a little sediment in the pipes.
Residents on the other side of the complex have been experiencing deteriorating water quality for weeks. A tenant at 449 East 14th Street sent us photos of an indescribable collection of muck found in his faucet. An article on Gothamist.com dating back two years further illustrates residents have long been concerned about what toxic materials may be unearthed by large scale construction projects in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village. And yet Tishman Speyer spokesman, Bud Perrone, thinks Lux Living makes this stuff up.
Lux Living would like to point out that though we heavily satirize what goes on in Stuyvesant Town, this is a serious matter. None of the photos we have been running of the contaminated water have been Photoshopped or edited in any way other than cropping and resizing them to post on the site. Lux Living has been to several apartments is Stuyvesant Town and has seen this water first hand. The people we have quoted with regards to the contaminated water are real people, facing real health concerns and they have been given the runaround for weeks.
Lux Living HIGHLY suggests you call 311 and get your water tested. New York City offers a free Residential Drinking Water Testing Program through the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Residents can call 311 to request a free test kit.
She's been getting conflicting information about what's causing the contaminated water. The EPA has given her several excuses including gas drilling in the Catskills and ConEd's ongoing construction on the complex. State Senator Tom Duane's office told her, "the whole west side is complaining about the water for weeks," information not particularly helpful to her. The Department of Environmental Protection is also concerned about people getting sick from the water.
The one thing everyone does agree on is that when the cold water turns brown, it's an issue with the city, but when the hot water turns brown, like the water in Stuyvesant Town, it's the landlord's issue. Stuyvesant Town has refused to blow the line which may temporarily clear the water but this problem is much bigger than a little sediment in the pipes.
Residents on the other side of the complex have been experiencing deteriorating water quality for weeks. A tenant at 449 East 14th Street sent us photos of an indescribable collection of muck found in his faucet. An article on Gothamist.com dating back two years further illustrates residents have long been concerned about what toxic materials may be unearthed by large scale construction projects in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village. And yet Tishman Speyer spokesman, Bud Perrone, thinks Lux Living makes this stuff up.
Lux Living would like to point out that though we heavily satirize what goes on in Stuyvesant Town, this is a serious matter. None of the photos we have been running of the contaminated water have been Photoshopped or edited in any way other than cropping and resizing them to post on the site. Lux Living has been to several apartments is Stuyvesant Town and has seen this water first hand. The people we have quoted with regards to the contaminated water are real people, facing real health concerns and they have been given the runaround for weeks.
Lux Living HIGHLY suggests you call 311 and get your water tested. New York City offers a free Residential Drinking Water Testing Program through the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Residents can call 311 to request a free test kit.
Suggest that those of you who are experiencing brown water problems might want to send your photos to some of the investigative reporters on the local network news to get some attention to the situation. Here are website addresses for the local ABC and CBS stations:
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/feature?section=news&id=5767488
http://wcbstv.com/investigates
I could not find a similar page for the local NBC station although I recall that the late NBC reporter Ralph Penza did a story here a few years ago and was ordered off the property by security.
I created this page last month which has all of the current contact information for the local news shows. I'd suggest writing sooner than later.
http://stuytownluxliving.com/file-a-complaint.html
Peter Cooper Village-Stuyvesant Town: Something Special In The Water!
Peter Cooper Village-Stuyvesant Town: Where Water Is The New Brown!
While Senator Duane may not be able to affect the water issues immediately from his perch in the State legislature, there is nothing more annoying than the kind of response provided to the resident of 622 E. 20th--you think you have a problem...well, the whole west side has been complaining for weeks! That is neither responsive nor helpful.
I have sent off for a water testing kit and I'm wondering if the water turns out to be unpotable (and it probably will) will Tish Spy be obligated to reimburse us for the cost of all the bottled water we are using? It gets very expensive when you have to use it for making tea, coffee and cooking as well as drinking it by itself. I can't afford to bathe and wash dishes in bottled water, but having to boil the water in a kettle or on the stove before using it to rinse dishes is time consuming - - nd uses up a lot of gas and/or electric. Surely it would be to Tish Spy's benefit to resolve this problem sooner rather than later. If the cold water is contaminated, I think we should start a class action against Tishman Speyer.
Brown water and no heat. Can't understand why people aren't just breaking down the doors of the leasing office for a chance to pay big bucks to live in this luxury project.
Free the Stuytown 20,000!!
I regret that the resident of 622 East 20 Street who called Senator Duane’s office on Friday felt her concerns were being dismissed. I meant to convey that our office is looking into the brown water problems not only at Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village but in other areas of Senator Duane’s district where it has been reported as well.
The New York City Department of Environment Protection (DEP) has indicated that dark or discolored water in Manhattan Community Board 6, which includes ST/PCV, and well as Board 4, 7,8, 9 10 and 11, can be traced to the activation of Shaft 33 of the Third Water Tunnel, which began mid-October. According to DEP’s official statement, "This activation changes our water distribution from the Catskills/Delaware Reservoir System to the Croton Reservoir System. The water is safe to drink and does not require boiling, but washing clothes with discolored water may tint or stain garments. If sediment is present in the water, let it settle before drinking. The discoloration is expected to continue for the next 6 weeks."
Nonetheless, our office has reached out to ST/PCV management and asked that they check the complex’s own water tanks as well. We will continue to monitor this situation.
Romeo N. Ymalay III
Legislative Aide
NYS Senator Thomas K. Duane
322 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1700
New York, NY 10001
p: 212.633.8052
f: 212.633.8096
e: romeo@tomduane.com
url: www.tomduane.com