Basement Apartment Issues and How to Prevent Waste and Stormwater Problems

If you own or manage a property in New York City with low-lying units, you may already have encountered basement apartment issues, such as stormwater damage or sewage backups. If you haven’t yet dealt with these problems, they may still await in your future, with predictions for increasing severe weather events. And if you’re new to property ownership, management, or landlord duties, you might not be aware of these concerns. Here are four ways you can deal with waste and stormwater problems in basement apartments to minimize property damage, tenant complaints, and even legal consequences.

1. Make Sure Basement Apartments Meet Building Code Requirements

Egress for safety

After hurricanes and tropical storms hit New York City hard last fall, resulting in fatalities due to flooding, the local government has been cracking down on illegal basement residences. The city’s building code states that one aspect of being legal is that there must be a window in each room of the apartment, and ceilings must be at least seven feet high.

Without these requirements, basement apartments can become death traps if flood waters overwhelm them. While we recommend adding sump pumps (see below), should they not be enough in extreme storms, you want your tenants to get out safely. And of course, you don’t want to incur citations and fees from the city or lawsuits for failing to give tenants proper emergency egress.

2. Remove Waste and Prevent Backups with a Sewage Ejector Pump

Backup prevention in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry areas

Low-lying properties of all kinds – not just basement apartments – are subject to sewage backups in kitchen and bathroom sinks as well as in toilets, dishwashers, and laundry rooms. This is because units at higher levels have the flow of gravity to assist with the drainage of sewage and wastewater to the sewer main. Without gravity, waste and greywater can sit just below these fixtures until it accumulates to the point where it backs up into the home’s interior.

These backups result in unpleasant odors and render fixtures and washing appliances unusable. They can also pose health consequences and violate city building codes that make rental properties habitable.

There’s an easy solution: a sewage ejector pump. This type of pump holds waste in a small basin beneath a kitchen, bath, or laundry room. When a sensor in the basin indicates the basin is nearly full, the pump is activated to push the waste toward the sewer main for permanent removal. Some pumps, known as sewage grinder pumps, pulverize the waste first, similar to a garbage disposal, making it easier to propel away from the property.

You still can’t put forbidden items (baby wipes, cooking grease, etc.) down the drain with a sewage ejector pump. But these pumps do a fantastic job of preventing backups from waste that has been appropriately disposed of in the kitchen or bath.

3. Eliminate Rising Water at Low Levels by Installing a Sump Pump

Rainstorm must-have

Sump pumps remove water rising from below in basements and low-level apartments. Usually, this water is caused by rainstorm runoff or snowmelt, but it can also be present if your property is located in places with higher water tables or closer to sea level. Certain areas in Queens, for example, meet that description, and they suffered some of the worst damage after Hurricane Ida.

Like a sewage ejector pump, a sump pump employs a sensor in a basin to alert the pump when water is rising too high and threatening a property’s interior. The pump is turned on automatically, and water is propelled away from the building to a safer, more absorbent place nearby.

Sump pumps are ideal if you’ve had water in your basement or low-level apartments before. They prevent damage to the interior’s finishes and to tenants’ property. They also reduce the risk of electric shock during storms when high water would otherwise reach the level of electrical wiring and outlets.

4. Landscape for Weather Events that Increase Stormwater

Green initiatives

As well as adding a sump pump, you can further reduce the probability of interior flooding and water damage by making your property more resistant outside. The city has begun a stormwater initiative with larger rental buildings to replace hard paved areas with landscaping that absorbs rainwater and prevents or reduces runoff.

Even if your property isn’t big enough to qualify for this program, you can make changes on your own, including:

• Add soft landscaping in place of asphalt or concrete to catch rainwater. In addition to plants, you can use gravel or porous stone to slow down rain runoff.
• Use thirsty ground cover plants under trees and on slopes where you have bare soil.
• Make sure your rain gutters are clear of debris and in good condition.
• Check to ensure downspouts aren’t clogged and are pointed away from your structure, channeling water a safe distance from the foundation.
• Consider using rain barrels to catch and store rainwater for use later (watering plants, cleaning the sidewalk, washing vehicles, etc.).
• Regularly remove trash and other unwanted material from around your property so they don’t flow into storm drains and clog the sewer system, which is already overloaded.
• Participate in local city government at the borough or neighborhood level, where sewer improvements and storm mitigation efforts are underway.

Want to learn more about adding a sewage ejector pump and/or sump pump to your property? These devices should be installed by professionals, like Antler Pumps, to be certain they are sized appropriately and set up correctly. When necessary, we work in conjunction with our partners at Sanitary Plumbing for these installations, so you get comprehensive service that you know is done right.

We also perform routine maintenance on sewage ejector and sump pumps, which extends their lifespan and ensures they work properly when you need them most. Call us at 212-534-2500 or use our online form to set up a consultation. Don’t wait until you have a sewage backup or rainwater disaster to take action. Reach out today.