16 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • APRIL 2018
By STEVE BELLONE
Suffolk County Executive
Just over three years ago, I declared
nitrogen Public Enemy Number
One. Nitrogen is the single largest
cause of degraded water quality.
In Suffolk County, water — our
oceans, bays and harbors — are
essential to both the local economy
and our way of life.
The increasing frequency of beach
closures, restrictions on harvesting
of shellfish, harmful algae blooms
and fish kills has raised awareness
of the problem. Scientists have
made clear that the primary source
of nitrogen pollution to our surface
waters are outdated cesspools
and septic systems, which are not
designed to remove nitrogen from
wastewater.
Over the past several years Suffolk
and its partners in the environmental
and business communities have
made significant progress in the
effort to reverse decades of nitrogen
pollution. An important part of
these efforts has been establishing
a foundation to replace outdated
cesspools and septic systems with
new state-of-the-art Innovative
and Alternative Onsite Wastewater
Treatment System (I/A OWTS).
Just as important are the county’s
efforts to reduce the cost of the new
systems for homeowners.
To make these new systems
affordable for homeowners, Suffolk
established the very first program
in New York State that provides
financial incentives for replacement
of cesspools and septic systems
with new IA technologies. A
new IA system would cost most
homeowners between $16,000 and
$20,000, an amount that should be
reduced over time as more systems
are installed. Under the program,
homeowners who decide to replace
their cesspool or septic system with
the new technologies are eligible for
grants of up to $11,000 and may also
qualify to finance the remaining
cost of the systems over 15 years at a
low 3 percent fixed interest rate.
A fund approved by county voters in
2014 provides $2 million a year for
the program through 2021, enough
to fund 200 grants of $10,000
each year. Since the county began
accepting applications last July,
1,045 homeowners have registered
for the program, 286 residents have
completed applications and 208
residents have been awarded grants.
Suffolk is recognized statewide
as being at the cutting edge of
efforts to address long-standing
concerns about nitrogen pollution
from cesspools and septic systems.
Counties across the state are poised
to follow Suffolk’s lead.
As I have said many times, the water
quality crisis we face was created
over decades and cannot be solved
in one year, or even five. But we in
Suffolk are committed to staying
the course and working hard to
keep the momentum going forward.
We are making progress in the
battle to reverse decades of nitrogen
pollution each and every year. The
residents of Suffolk and future
generations deserve nothing less.
POINT OF VIEW
LEADING THE WAY:
WATER QUALITY
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