Outdated cesspools and septic systems are a primary source of water pollution in Long Island. Currently, both Suffolk County and the Town of Southampton offer septic system rebates to reimburse homeowners for the initial installation costs, which average about $20,000 per system, including labor and engineering costs. The steep upfront cost, however, drives many homeowners away.

Enter Peconic Baykeeper’s pilot Septic Improvement Program, intended to spearhead nitrogen reduction in the East End. Through support from The Moore Charitable Foundation and Diana Taylor, a Peconic Baykeeper board member, the cost of four FujiClean CEN system implementations were covered by the nonprofit and reimbursed with Community Preservation Fund revenues. Distribution support was provided by Southampton Advanced Wastewater Solutions.

Results of the pilot project show a 90 percent reduction in nitrogen effluent pollution in the 4 septic improvement program locations. PBK is now working with local businesses and local government to create a broader model for improving water quality on a community-by-community, watershed-by-watershed basis, while providing green jobs and supporting the local community.

Impact: 

700 water samples collected with the Blue Water Task Force and processed for bacterial monitoring in 2019 to keep the public informed and water users safe

Growing 650,000 oysters in Great Peconic Bay, capable of filtering up to 32.5 million gallons of water a day, through PBK’s Pilot Oyster Aquaculture Program.

Continues to lead educational programs such as the “Day in the Life of….” Fire Island, Forge River, and the Peconics, providing thousands of students hands-on experiences with water quality and biological monitoring in the field

Counted 751 threatened river herring (alewives) as part of a volunteer-assisted effort to monitor Long Island’s largest remaining alewife runs