The pumping system will be automated, hopefully within about six months, said Edward Dennis Jr., of Remington & Vernick Engineers in Pleasantville, which managed the project for the city.

“When the system is fully built out, we will have four times the capacity we have now,” said Dennis. He said there are two pumps working now and there will be eight by the time the project is completed, saying “we’re basically at 25 percent of pumping power.”

Evans said the public works department runs the system and was anticipating the switches would have engaged themselves.

“We quickly learned it was not as automated as we thought it was,” said Evans.

Colleen Herold, who has lived near the intersection of Massachusetts and Melrose avenues close to Fishermen’s Park for 16 years, said Sunday night’s flooding was the worst she’s seen since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

“There was over a foot of water on our sidewalk, coming over our yard almost to the house,” she said. “It stayed that way a good part of the evening.”

She was afraid the pumps were simply ineffective, so when she heard they hadn’t been activated she was relieved but disappointed.