Letters

At the Thursday, May 9, trustees meeting, Southampton Village began steps to inject Bacillus bacteria into Old Town Pond, calling this process an “IV drip.”

Village residents and environmentalists alike should be extraordinarily concerned.

This high-risk, short-term strategy involves introducing organic bacteria into a fragile pond ecosystem. The goal is for the bacteria to consume excess nutrients and reduce harmful algal blooms. But in doing so, this process could fundamentally alter the natural balance of the pond, putting the entire ecosystem at risk.

Most alarmingly, the bacteria consumes oxygen as it breaks down organic matter. In a water body prone to stagnation, this could lead to hypoxia, dangerously low oxygen levels that can cause fish kills and ecosystem collapse.

Our water bodies are not laboratories, and Old Town Pond is not a science experiment. Once introduced, these bacteria are difficult to remove. The company an “exclusive licensee” selling the bacteria publicly said that “if we pull the plug, the bugs will not go away.” The total cost to the village is projected at $370,000 over two years. But the real price may be borne by the pond itself, and future generations who will have to deal with the fallout.

What makes this worse is that the village is choosing this speculative method over a funded, engineered constructed wetlands that aligns with the village’s own Water Quality Improvement Plan. The village also fails to address true causes of the pollution: outdated septic systems, fertilizer runoff, and pesticide exposure.

This decision reflects a dangerous misunderstanding of watershed management. I urge every resident who cares about our water to demand an immediate stop to this misguided project.

Jesse Warren

Former Mayor, Southampton Village