SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – (September 29, 2015) – Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today introduced legislation to provide funding for important wastewater infrastructure upgrades at Meschutt County Park, Hampton Bays. The proposed $300,000 upgrade will provide a new system to replace an older septic system which experienced a failure earlier in the year.
“This project will help improve water quality in Shinnecock Bay and the Peconic Estuary,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “Cesspool and septic maintenance is the first and crucial step to Reclaiming our Water. The previous system at Meschutt County Park was installed prior to health regulations that require a septic tank, and we now know that these upgrades are critical because nitrogen from outdated and unmaintained systems directly leads to degradation of our waters. These improvements signify our ongoing commitment to our water quality and environment.”
In conjunction with the legislation, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works will issue a request for proposal to accept bids from wastewater removal and sanitation-based firms. The project will come at no cost to taxpayers as funds from the County’s Sewer Infrastructure Program will be transferred to the capital budget.
"I asked the County to bring the Meschutt Park septic system up to the current standard required by the Health Department. County Executive Steve Bellone decided to go beyond the standard and set a higher example in order to protect Shinnecock Bay from pollutants from human waste," said Legislator Jay Schneiderman.
The upgrades at Meschutt County Park are necessary due to a septic system failure at The Beach Hut in July 2015 as well as its close proximity to surface waters. The Suffolk County Department of Public Works and Department of Economic Development estimates that the total cost of advanced nitrogen removal wastewater treatment at the facility will cost approximately $300,000 from the County’s Sewer Infrastructure Program.
The septic upgrade is part of County Executive Bellone’s Reclaim Our Water initiative, which includes the securing of nearly $400 million in funding for the largest expansion of sewers in Suffolk County since the 1970s, and the release of the 2015 Suffolk County Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan that provides critical recommendations on how to manage and protect the region’s water supply.
Winners of the proposed bid will be required to design a wastewater treatment system that coincides with the County’s design principles, including: reduction of nitrogen, enhancing water quality, maintaining performance in a low-lying area and meeting the demands of summer peak usage.
For more information on the proposed upgrades at Meschutt County Park, log on to www.suffolkcountyny.gov or www.facebook.com/stevebellone.