After two weeks of slips, falls and fender-benders, a water leak that turned a Park Slope street into an ice-skating rink has finally been repaired.
As many as 18 First Street residents contacted 311 to report that the block between Seventh and Eighth avenues had turned into a dangerous ice slick — and many were frustrated that the city seemed unable or unwilling to do anything about it.
“The ice was really bad,” said Nick, a resident who slipped on the permafrost in front of his home.
“A driver slid right into another car, too,” he added. “We made a lot of calls to 311, the DEP and Con Edison, but no one came to fix it.”
In the end, the city was not to blame for the leak. It turned out that the perforated pipeline led to a private residence, so city officials ordered the property owners to make the repairs within three days, said DEP spokesperson Mercedes Padilla.
“When your service line breaks, it’s your responsibility to fix it — not the city’s,” said Padilla.
Property owners Regis Canning and Doreen Maddox-Canning said they had no idea that water was leaking from their pipes.
“We were surprised when they told us it was our pipe because the leak was actually coming from the street,” Maddox-Canning said.
The pair hired workers to repair the pipe last week, and neighbors say the slow leak abated — just in time for this week’s cold snap.
