2 Photos
From left: Vanessa Parsons stands with her children William, 1, Emily, 6, and Clara, 3, where the garden would be built. AMANDA BERNOCCO
Westhampton Beach was recently awarded a $5 million grant from the State Department of Environmental Conservation to be used toward construction of phase one of the village’s sewer district project.
The grant came from the DEC’s Water Quality Improvement Project program, which gave over $20 million to projects across Long Island through the state’s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the recipients of these awards on December 18.
“We were thrilled to receive the news that New York State had approved our grant application and that they’re awarding us $5 million toward the construction of the sewer project,” Mayor Maria Moore said. “Everybody has been very supportive. This project is something that has been talked about for decades in the village.”
Phase one, expected to cost $15.2 million, will connect sewer lines in the Main Street business district and a section of properties south of Main Street to an existing Suffolk County sewage treatment plant at Francis S. Gabreski Airport, 2.6 miles away.
Once complete, 68 commercial properties and 88 residential properties will be tied to the treatment plant through a pair of pumping stations to be installed on Main Street and Glovers Lane. The new 4-inch-wide pipe will allow for the flow of 60,000 gallons of water per day to the plant.
Establishing the connection is expected to eliminate private septic systems in an effort to improve the water quality of the Moniebogue Bay and its associated watershed, and to reduce the effects of excess nitrogen loading to groundwater.
Construction for phase one is slated to begin in 2020, once H2M Architects + Engineers completes the construction plans and surveying.
To fund the rest of the project, village officials also applied to a Water Infrastructure Improvement Act grant from the State Environmental Facilities Corporation earlier this year, but they did not receive it. Ms. Moore said that they will resubmit the application next year, which would still work well with their timeline.
Officials also hope to receive funding from Southampton Town’s Community Preservation Fund next year. Last year, the village was awarded almost $2.4 million in CPF money for water quality improvement projects, with $1.13 million of it put toward the sewer district plans.
on Dec 28, 2018