NYCHA resident says apartment still plagued by sewage backups
BRONX - A Bronx public housing resident says her apartment has been left unlivable after repeated sewage backups flooded her home, including a second incident just hours after an initial repair, according to the tenant and video obtained exclusively by FOX 5 NY.
What we know:
Gloria Castillo, a longtime nurse and mother who lives in a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) building, said the issue began Friday with what appeared to be a leak.
"I noticed there was water coming through the hallway and I asked my son, I said, where's that water coming from?" Castillo said.
That leak escalated later in the day when water and raw sewage from multiple floors above poured into her second-floor apartment, she said. Castillo recorded video showing the flooding, which she said caused extensive damage and a strong odor throughout the unit.
Workers attempt temporary fix
Castillo told FOX 5 NY she contacted NYCHA for help but did not receive a response for about 14 hours. When workers arrived, she said they attempted a temporary fix.
"Snaked down the tub, water drained out, they left, but nothing else was done. I was left with all the backed up sewage still there," she said.
The problem returned later that same night.
"It went under tenants' doors. It crossed through the elevators. The elevators were put out of service," Castillo said.
Maintenance crews returned early the next morning and carried out more extensive work, she said.
"They broke the wall to the bathroom in the back of the toilet. They told me that they needed to break the pipe in order to drain it out. I asked what caused it. He says people use whatever they use and they flush it down the toilet," Castillo said.
She said the conditions inside the apartment worsened after the work.
"The smell was unbearable. Later on, I was told that there was asbestos in the back of the wall and they patched it up with a plastic and duct tape," she said.
Castillo said sewage from upper floors continued to flow through her apartment during the incidents.
As FOX 5 NY crews were preparing to leave the building, the bathtub in Castillo’s apartment began filling with sewage again. Crews were seen using buckets to prevent it from overflowing.
Castillo said NYCHA told her the apartment conditions were suitable for basic use, including bathing and brushing teeth, but she disagrees and said she and her son no longer feel comfortable staying there.
"I don't even have words. Like I call this completely negligence," she said.
What they're saying:
In a statement, NYCHA said, "NYCHA staff are actively assisting the resident, addressing the repair, and following standard environmental protocols."
The Source: This article is based on information from NYCHA residents and reporting by FOX 5 NY's Kendall Green.