Snapshots of infrastructure work at the Gin Beach and South Edison Beach comfort stations.
A day at the beach just got a little cleaner in Montauk. Last week, installation began on two new low nitrogen I/A treatment plants (innovative alternative) at the Gin Beach and South Edison Beach comfort stations. The work is expected to be completed by Friday.
According to Mellissa McCarron, East Hampton Town's principal environmental analyst, it likely took less than a year for wastewater from the Gin Beach site to reach Long Island Sound. Down in South Edison, a tidal wave reached the Atlantic Ocean in less than two years, she said. Both stations produce an average of nearly 1,000 gallons of wastewater per day.
In 2019, the city's Water Quality Technical Advisory Committee listed all municipal sites that generate wastewater and ranked them for upgrades based on their proximity to major water bodies, depth to groundwater, need for replacement, feasibility of installation, and the age of the existing locations system. In an email, Ms. McCarron said the city has since moved down the list.
“We are taking significant steps to defend our water quality,” City Manager Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said in a news release announcing the work. “Upgrading these wastewater systems is about protecting our environment and ensuring a healthy environment for future generations. Clean water is critical to our fishing, shellfishing and recreational activities, and these upgrades will play a critical role in preserving what makes our city special.”
The new systems are capable of removing 70 percent of nitrogen – a major cause of algae blooms that come from human waste and fertilizers – from wastewater. “By upgrading the wastewater systems at our most frequently used public facilities, we are prioritizing environmental health and improving the quality of life for all residents,” Councilman David Lys said in the news release.
The City is leading by example in remediating septic tanks in Montauk, particularly in the Lake Montauk watershed. Modernizations have already been carried out at the West Lake and South Lake comfort stations.
The visual impacts of nitrogen pollution are most visible in bays, harbors, lakes and ponds, “as our harbors and bays are shallower and have less water circulation and are more directly affected by land-based sources of nitrogen,” Ms. McCarron wrote. “However, ocean dead zones are widely believed to be exacerbated by human activities, and the primary cause is nutrient pollution from sewage, stormwater and agricultural runoff. So I think that no matter what nutrient pollution enters the waters, it's important to do what we can to reduce or eliminate it.
The city is offering up to $20,000 to residents who upgrade their septic systems through its Septic Incentive Program with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services. For more information, contact the Department of Natural Resources at 631-324-0496 or email [email protected].
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