It’s time to say goodbye!
No one in their right mind would empty ten bags of fertilizer into Georgica Pond or any other local waterbody (ten, 40-lb bags of 10-10-10 equates to 40 pounds of nitrogen). But that is exactly what you are doing if you don’t update your septic system. According to the NYSDEC, the average conventional septic system discharges approximately 40 pounds of nitrogen/year.
Thankfully, Suffolk County voters came out in force and passed Proposition 2—the Suffolk County Water Restoration Act by 72%. We offer a resounding thank you and congratulations to all who voted in favor of this historic act. It will provide a stable and secure source of funding from Suffolk County for septic upgrade grants until 2060. Now is the time to get your name on the Suffolk County list! In the past there have been long wait times to receive the $10,000 incentive grant from Suffolk County and without enough funding, the County had to prioritize failed or failing systems.
By contrast, the Town of East Hampton has done an outstanding job of running their program funded by our Community Preservation Fund (CPF). All homeowners in the 10-year travel time of Georgica Pond are eligible for $20,000 from the Town. There is also a $10,000 incentive grant from NY state (State grant funds are secured through the County program). If you live in the Georgica Pond 10-year travel time (see blue zone on map) you are eligible for a total of $40,000 and we urge you to get started today.
For specifics on the Suffolk County program visit the Suffolk County Septic Improvement Program.
For specifics on the East Hampton Town/Village application visit the East Hampton Town’s Details and Forms webpage.
Thanks to support from the Peconic Land Trust and the New York Center for Clean Water Technology, Tom Varley, the Watershed Manager is also available to help you through the process free of charge. You can contact Tom at Thomas.varley@stonybrook.edu