East Hampton Town will soon increase its incentive payments from $15,000 to $20,000 to anyone who voluntarily upgrades their septic system within the Water Protection District (WPC). By increasing the WPC to include both the 2-year and 10-year travel time zones, the East Hampton Town Board is allowing many more people to be eligible for the maximum septic improvement incentive payment.
Recognizing the seriousness of the impact of septic wastewater on nearshore water bodies such as Georgica Pond, this important step will help expedite the transition to low-nitrogen (I/A) septic systems. Combined with the $10,000 payment from New York State and $10,000 payment from Suffolk County, a total of $40,000 is available to many homeowners.
We applaud the Town for this bold step which will make the process more affordable to more people.
The Town’s Community Preservation Fund Technical Advisory Committee made the recommendation to the Town Board.
The septic incentive program is funded by the Town of East Hampton’s Community Preservation Fund (CPF) which receives income from the 2% real estate transfer tax. The fund has been a monumental success with $462 million generated since 1999 for East Hampton Town and Village. A total of 2,250 acres have been preserved to date in East Hampton. The CPF program has purchased a number of key parcels in the Georgica Pond watershed, most recently the Wainscott Green. Farmland along Beach Lane and large tracts of pine barrens in the northern headwaters of the Pond have also been acquired. 20% of the total CPF revenue generated is now available for water quality improvement projects such as individual septic upgrades. In more good news, $50,000 in CPF funds has been approved by the East Hampton Town Board to reduce stormwater runoff into the Pond at the rest stop on Route 27.
Preserved landscapes and clean water to enjoy (and also drink!) contribute to our sense of place which is one of the main reasons many of us live here. Please do your part and start the process of upgrading your septic system today.
