The Suffolk County Department of Health Services is now able to dole out more money to homeowners who want to replace their aged cesspool and septic systems with more advanced systems as a result of a more than $10 million cash infusion from the state.
The additional funding will make it less expensive for homeowners to replace their traditional systems with nitrogen-reducing systems, which significantly improve the treatment of wastewater and have less of an impact on the environment.
County Executive Steve Bellone said the award amounts to 70 percent of the funding that New York State allocated for the first year of the State Septic Replacement Program.
“Replacing cesspools and septic systems is critical if we are to improve water quality, but it will never work unless we can make it affordable for homeowners,” Mr. Bellone said in a statement. “The county’s own program was an important step in the right direction, but the addition of this state funding will make it even easier for homeowners to replace their existing system with one designed to better protect the environment.”
Before receiving state aid, the county was able to grant up to $10,000 per home to offset the expense of one of the new systems, which typically cost $22,000 to install. Homeowners who qualify under guidelines of the State Septic System Replacement Fund could now receive up to $20,000 total.
Homeowners can apply online at reclaimourwater.info.
on Oct 15, 2018