The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) reported today that the AVAC (Automatic Vacuum Collection) underground garbage removal system is out of service once again for the Roosevelt Landings and Riverwalk buildings.
According to RIOC:
Dear Roosevelt Island Community:
The East side line of the AVAC system remains offline due to an ongoing clog in the system. We apologize for the inconvenience this outage has caused and will continue to work with DSNY to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
DSNY will begin making daily garbage pickups for the affected buildings starting tomorrow morning, October 28th. Building managers have been notified to bring all garbage out to the curb after 7:00 PM this evening for 6:00 AM pickup.
-RIOC Maintenance
It is believed, but not confirmed yet, that the current AVAC service outage is caused by an air mattress thrown down the chute and stuck in the pipe.
… During an October 23, 2022 tour of the Roosevelt Island AVAC facility I asked Sanitation Department worker TJ about crazy items that were placed in the AVAC chutes.
TJ answered that bed frames and TV sets have been thrown down the AVAC chute and also confirmed that the AVAC was shut down a few weeks before the Tour by a lightning strike….
There have been ongoing service disruptions over the last few months with the AVAC system. Last September 29, I asked RIOC Assistant Vice President Communications & Government Affairs Bryant Daniels:
The AVAC has been down in the Riverwalk buildings for at least the last 2 weeks if not more.
I’m told the problem is East River water seeping into the AVAC pipes.
Is that true?
What is the status of the AVAC system and when does RIOC anticipate it will be fixed.
Mr Daniels replied later that day:
It’s actually a problem with a compressor in Roosevelt Landings which keeps malfunctioning and causing clogs; no issues related to water seepage. The problem falls to C&C Management to remediate, and they’ve been working on it with mixed results. We’re pushing for them to find a permanent solution to this ASAP. The rest of the system is currently functioning normally.
During the October 16, 2025 RIOC Board meeting, RIOC President BJ Jones reported that repairs to the East Side AVAC line had been completed.
Do not know at this time how long the AVAC East Line will be out of service.
Watch full video of the fascinating October 2022 tour of the Roosevelt Island AVAC facility.
10/30 UPDATE – According to RIOC:
Dear Roosevelt Island Community:
Please be advised that the clog in the East side AVAC line has been cleared by DSNY. Building management has been notified that they may now re-open their building’s chutes.
Thank you for your patience as we worked to resolve this issue.
There should be cameras in the disposal rooms to dissuade malefactors.