County Installs Advanced Septic System In Mattituck

MATTITUCK, NY — It was a groundbreaking day in Mattituck Friday as the first advanced septic system was installed on the North Fork as part of Suffolk County's septic improvement program.

According to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone the installation of the system on Westview Drive is the third overall under the grant program, following installations in the communities of Flanders and Water Mill.

Additional installations include on scheduled for Friday in Remsenburg and another on Tuesday in East Moriches, Bellone said.

“The county’s program is the first of its kind ever in the state, designed to make it affordable for homeowners to reduce the impact they are having on the environment,” Bellone said. “ A new IA system can reduce total nitrogen discharge by up to 70 percent compared to a cesspool or septic system. We are committed to seeing thousands of these news systems installed on the North Fork, and throughout Suffolk County.”

According to the Bellone, more than 700 homeowners have registered for the program through the county's website, while 187 have completed applications and 121 homeowners have been awarded grant certificates.

“Since the county began accepting applications on July 3, the response to the septic improvement program has been overwhelming,” he said. “The success of the program to date is proof positive that the people of Suffolk County care deeply about water quality."

Residents, Bellone said, understand the importance of reversing decades of nitrogen pollution that has "fouled our bays with harmful algal blooms and contributed to beach closures and fish kills. Through this innovative program, we are finally going to make progress in the battle against nitrogen pollution.”

“I want to thank County Executive Bellone and Suffolk County Planning for implementing this grant program, which makes the installation of these advanced systems much more attainable for the average homeowner,” said Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski. “Moving forward, we need to explore additional funding sources for grants and loans to ensure the long-term success of the septic improvement program, a key component in the future health of our creeks, bays and estuaries.”

Funding for the grant program came after Suffolk County residents voted to approve a 2014 referendum, which authorized use of $2 million each year through 2021 for nitrogen reducing septic systems.

The loan program is being administered by Community Development Corporation of Long Island Funding Corp, with financial support from Bridgehampton National Bank, which provided a both a grant to cover administrative expenses and a $1 million line of credit, and through financial commitments from several philanthropic foundations, Bellone said.

Suffolk County’s newly launched Reclaim Our Water Septic Improvement Program website provides homeowners with financial, regulatory, technical and infrastructure aspects of the Septic Improvement Program.