I write to all residents regarding my position on the village’s sewer system.
As the founder and creator of the Conscience Point Shellfish Hatchery, having spent three years with our local youth testing harbors, bays and estuaries for nitrogen, phosphorous, bacteria, pH, salinity, and other contaminants, I am a proven environmentalist deeply committed to ensuring clean water for our community. Now, our local Sea Scout program has limnology, with our test water being Lake Agawam.
Any statements about me not supporting a water treatment facility are not only misleading but also disappointing. Proper wastewater options are essential to address our polluted aquifer and water bodies, and to suggest that I do not support the need for a sewer system is simply not true.
There are various options for a wastewater system, and I have been advocating for a decentralized system, or a hybrid system, which combines decentralized and centralized approaches. These systems are widely used in Europe, in other states, and have proven to work extremely well, especially in smaller towns similar to Southampton.
Decentralized systems offer flexibility, cost-effectiveness and reduced environmental impact, while hybrid systems provide the best of both worlds, ensuring efficient and sustainable wastewater management. The village is singularly focused on a centralized system, which could end up close to some residents’ homes and will inevitably face community push-back.
As an EMT and first responder, I understand the value of teamwork and the importance of working together. If elected, I promise to refrain from making personal attacks on my fellow board members or community members. Instead, I will focus on listening and collaborating to find the best solutions for our village. My experience as a first responder has taught me the importance of solving problems with limited resources to save lives, and I will apply this same approach to the village.
In my work with Sea Scouts, an organization that helps autistic children, we often go sailing. It would be my dream to take some of the Sea Scout students out on the Pyrrhus Concer ferry on Lake Agawam. However, this vision starts with taking action to clean up our water bodies and not misleading or confusing residents with incorrect information.
Josh Belury
Southampton
Belury is a candidate for Southampton Village Board — Ed.
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