Nassau County Septic System Grants Improving Water Quality

Is your septic system or cesspool failing? And even if it’s not, do you want to help improve water quality on Long Island?

You might be eligible for Nassau County grant for up to $20,000 if you replace your conventional septic system or cesspool with a new clean water septic system.

In November, Nassau County successfully installed its first ever nitrogen-removing clean water septic system. After Hurricane Ida flooded a Sea Cliff home’s basement and collapsed the cesspool, the homeowner began research on how to upgrade to a clean-water septic system. This resident was able to take advantage of Nassau County and New York State funding and paid significantly less for a clean water septic system compared to a conventional cesspool and septic tank. It was a win-win for the homeowner’s wallet and Nassau’s water quality. Since November, the County has been able to help homeowners install three more systems with many more coming up in the next few months.

For decades, the North Shore has been plagued by harmful algal blooms, dense invasive seaweed, fish kills and beach closures. All these ailments are the result of excess nitrogen from untreated wastewater in septic tanks and cesspools. To meet water quality targets, more than 32,000 septic systems on the North Shore of Nassau County need to be upgraded with clean water technology.

In addition to reducing nitrogen in our bays and harbors, it is critical that we treat septic wastewater before it contaminates our drinking water. Parts of Nassau County sit directly above a major Special Groundwater Protection Area where freshwater replenishes into a deep-recharge aquifer. Any untreated wastewater that flows into the aquifer will eventually make its way into our drinking water.

Clean water septic systems can remove up to 90% of nitrogen from wastewater. Clean water septic systems convert harmful nitrogen in wastewater into a harmless gas by harnessing natural processes.

“It is imperative that we upgrade our septic tanks and cesspools now,” said Katherine Coughlin, the North Shore Land Alliance and The Nature Conservancy’s Water Quality Improvement Coordinator. “The longer we wait the longer it will take and the more expensive it will be to fix water quality.”

Since last May, Nassau County homeowners and small businesses owners have been eligible for grants through the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District’s S.E.P.T.I.C. Program for up to $20,000 for the installation and, in some cases, design of clean water septic systems.

"The grants are a great way to improve the water quality in the Sound and our local bays at little or no cost to homeowners," commented Bill Bleyer, president of Friends of the Bay, who has been approved for a grant from the project. "We're hoping more people apply."

The county has funding for 200 available grants, and to date more than 140 applications have been received and 20 clean water septic tanks are on their way to being installed. With support from the North Shore Land Alliance’s Water Quality Improvement Program, the Nassau S.E.P.T.I.C. Program successfully secured an additional $2 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan, bringing the total S.E.P.T.I.C. grant to up to $20,000 per applicant.

If you are interested in applying for a clean water septic grant go to www.nassaucountyny.gov/septicreplace or reach out to the North Shore Land Alliance at www.UpgradeYourSeptic.org for free assistance through all steps of the grant application and installation process.