North Shore to Receive $12 Million for Sewer Project

Help is on the way in the Glen Cove area to improve and protect the water quality at Crescent Beach, which, because of elevated bacterial levels, closed for swimming in 2009, authorities said.

On Monday, officials announced a $12 million allocation for studying, designing and installing public sanitary sewers in Glen Cove, Sea Cliff, Glen Head and Glenwood Landing that are not currently connected to the Glen Cove Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The construction of a modern sewer system with additional pump stations, in place of an aging septic system, will help eliminate bacterial intrusion in the local waterways, local and county officials said.

The project has bipartisan support, according to Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, Leg Delia DeRiggi-Whitton and Glen Cove Mayor Reggie Spinello.

“Glen Cove Mayor Reggie Spinello and Delia DeRiggi-Whitton have been strong partners in identifying the needs of Glen Cove and the surrounding community,” Mangano said, in a statement.

“The installation of sewers in this North Shore community is an important public health initiative as it will protect the local environment and improve the Long Island Sound so that our recreational fishermen and residents can rely on these waters for enjoyment and business alike,” he added.

“This investment is critical to the protection of our natural resources and our communities. The project will reduce the nitrogen that is contaminating our drinking water and our harbors, and eliminate bacteria that are closing our beaches and shell fishing areas,“ Spinello said. “It will also increase our resiliency to storms by eliminating septic systems from areas that are prone to flooding.”

Calling the initiative “critical,” DeRiggi-Whitton said, “We are tired of seeing the beaches closed when our children should be enjoying the beauty of the local waters.”

The project’s original request for proposals was amended to widen the scope of the study to include neighboring communities like Sea Cliff and Glenwood Landing. An RFP for the design and study portion will be issued before the end of 2014, and the study will take place in 2015, officials said.

Patch will provide more information on the project as it becomes available.

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