The East Hampton Town Board will vote on Thursday to adopt new laws mandating the use of nitrogen-reducing septic systems in all new house construction or major renovations starting on January 1, 2018.
The board, which has expressed unanimous support for adopting the law, has decided to delay the effective date of the new mandates until the new year to give Suffolk County legislators a chance to adopt parallel laws—a step that County Executive Steve Bellone has said he wants the county to take by the end of this year.
“Part of the reason for that January 1 date is because the [Suffolk County Department of Health] does not yet have a requirement for new construction, but we’re led to believe they are considering that and we’re trying to coordinate with them and add our voice to county’s efforts,” Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell said on Monday.
The board will also vote Thursday to establish a septics upgrade replacement program that will direct millions in Community Preservation Fund revenues to help homeowners replace existing septic systems with new systems that filter out nitrogen from wastewater before it is released into the ground. “Our rebate program will take effect immediately upon adoption,” Mr. Cantwell said.
The rebate program will make up to $15,000 available to homeowners who live in the watersheds of town bays, harbors and ponds to refund the cost of installing the new systems.
Nitrogen reduction systems can slash the amount of nitrogen released into the environment from a home’s wastewater to between 10 and 20 milligrams per liter, compared to current systems that can dump 50 milligrams per liter or more into groundwater.
East Hampton will be the first of the five East End towns to adopt such a rebate program since voters approved allowing up to 20 percent of CPF revenues to be used for water quality improvement efforts last fall. Suffolk County adopted its own rebate program last month that will make up to $11,000 available for rebates to homeowners for upgrading to nitrogen-reducing septics.
The town’s mandates would require that any newly constructed houses, major renovations or replacements of failing septic systems utilize one of the new nitrogen-reducing systems. The law allows that any construction project that has received a complete County Health Department permit for a standard septic system before January 1 will be grandfathered under the old regulations and allowed to proceed with that system.
Mr. Cantwell said at a Town Board work session on Tuesday that he is hopeful that the county will enact mandates regarding nitrogen-reducing septics by the end of the year but said if it doesn’t the town would go it alone.
Paralleling with the county has been seen as a key to mandate laws because the County Health Department would be a critical component in approving and regulating the installation and maintenance of the systems.
“I’m hoping the county will do the right thing,” Mr. Cantwell said.
on Jul 18, 2017