You flush and forget about it. But what goes down doesn’t just disappear. On Long Island, where it ends up has been a problem for decades. Outdated septic systems and cesspools leak pollutants into the groundwater. As a result, these aging systems pose serious threats to drinking water, the environment, public health, and the local economy. It’s been a long fight for change, but on July 23rd, Suffolk County took a huge step toward cleaner water.
Suffolk County homeowners will soon be able to upgrade to enhanced septic systems that reduce dangerous nitrogen pollution at a higher discounted rate, thanks to a surge of state funding announced Wednesday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill Wednesday morning at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood that increases the reimbursement rate for installation of an enhanced septic system to 75%, or up to $25,000. The governor also announced Suffolk County will receive $20 million in new grant funding it can use toward its Septic Improvement Program that provides homeowners $10,000 grants for the upgrade.
Legislation S8241-A/A8807 Makes It Easier and More Cost-Effective for New Yorkers to Upgrade to Advanced Septic Systems That Significantly Reduce Water Pollution
State Septic System Replacement Program Targets Priority Geographic Areas Like Long Island Which Rely on Sole-Source Aquifers
Funding Incentivizes Replacement of Old Septic and Cesspool Systems to Prevent Water Pollution
The June 24 Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Civic Association meeting at Comsewogue Library saw Adrienne Esposito, the executive director for the Suffolk based CCE (Citizens Campaign for the Environment), featured as a special guest. Esposito touched on a number of topics related to health, the environment and local infrastructure and in particular advocated for three bills in the state senate and assembly.
In a major environmental and affordability win, Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay announced the unanimous passage of her legislation (A8807/S8241-A) in both the New York State Assembly and Senate. The bill updates the reimbursement structure of the New York State Septic System Replacement Fund, making it easier and more affordable for New Yorkers to upgrade to advanced septic systems that significantly reduce water pollution, according to a press release.
Lights, Camera, Action . . . Long Island Sound! A new docuseries, “Tackling Pollution in Long Island Sound,” will soon be available for viewing by the public at The Nature Conservancy's Connecticut YouTube channel. Two of the series’ four videos premiered in March at the 2025 Long Island Sound Summit.
State, town and county officials announced on Tuesday the completion of a $13.7 million sewer project in downtown Central Islip that they hope will spur long-sought development there.
The project includes about 4,500 feet of new sewer line installed along Carleton Avenue, according to state officials, with “an average flow of 277,000 gallons per day.” Civic leaders and government officials at a news conference touted the infrastructure as “vital to the success” of the hamlet’s downtown by allowing restaurants and increased density.
City officials and water management experts are working to stop overflows from New York’s archaic sewer system without really knowing how much worse climate change will make storm surges and extreme rainfall.
As climate change intensifies, New York City is increasingly facing weather extremes. Currently, the city is on drought watch, and recently, wildfires have erupted in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut.
Water bodies on Long Island faced a record-setting 36 dead zones during the summer of 2024, and more than double the number of blue-green algae blooms in lakes and ponds than any other county in New York State, according to this year’s annual Long Island Water Quality Impairments report prepared by the Gobler Laboratory at Stony Brook University.
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Proposition 2 asks voters to approve a small new sales tax to protect drinking water and waterways.
Suffolk County voters are reminded and urged to turn their ballots over, where they'll find Proposition 2. It aims to set up a new sales tax fund to clean up Suffolk's waterways and drinking water by expanding public sewers and providing grants to homeowners to replace polluting cesspools.
LONG ISLAND - Harmful algae blooms are popping up in multiple bodies of water across Long Island.
The bays, lakes and ponds are not as clean and clear as they need to be - this according to an annual assessment of water quality report.
"We had a record number of dead zones in 2024 with oxygen levels of less than 3mg oxygen per liter. Ideally, our coastal waterbodies will have 4.8mg oxygen per liter," said coastal ecologist Dr. Christopher Gobler at Stony Brook University.
PATCHOGUE, N.Y. - Bays, ponds and estuaries on Long Island are losing oxygen.
According to a new report, 36 different bodies of water have been deemed dead zones, and 25 marine waterways have harmful algal blooms.
Harmful algae blooms spread across LI waters
Harmful algae blooms are popping up in multiple bodies of water across Long Island. FOX 5 NY’s Jodi Goldberg explains what’s causing this and the impact it's having on fish and other animals.
LONG ISLAND - Harmful algae blooms are popping up in multiple bodies of water across Long Island.
Good morning. The Citizens Campaign for the Environment presented findings from a study of Fire Island’s wastewater challenges to the Suffolk County Legislature this week. They say the island only has one small sewage treatment plant, forcing most residents to use septic or cesspool systems. This single plant and other aging systems contribute to harmful algal blooms, and loss of fisheries in the surrounding waterways.
