A final tank-rehabilitation project will replace the tanks that were compromised during Hurricane Sandy. County officials said that the saltwater intrusion caused the tanks to fail at times over the past year.

The plant was knocked out of service for two days during and after the storm, and dumped an estimated 2 million gallons of raw sewage and 2.2 billion gallons of partially treated sewage into Reynolds Channel in the six weeks after Sandy — the worst sewage overflow in New York and the second-worst in the Northeast, according to scientific researchers at ClimateCentral.org. Another 3 million gallons of partially treated affluent were released on May 9, the result of an hour-long power outage at the plant.

“We are glad to see that the $262 million we authorized is finally being spent,” said the Legislature’s Democratic minority leader, Kevan Abrahams.

In July, Abrahams told the Herald that the funding had not yet been granted because of a lack of oversight. “Oversight from the Legislature will ensure that these projects progress on time and on budget,” he said on Monday. “As the rebuilding moves forward, we will authorize the funds necessary to fully restore and repair our sewage treatment plants.”

“When these projects are completed,” Mangano said, “Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant will have cutting-edge technology in operation and will once again become a model for other facilities across the U.S.”

For Lilly, and many other Bay Park residents, improving the plant is the primary concern. “Our health and quality of life should have nothing to do with politics,” she said. “No matter what party you’re affiliated with, the people’s lives that are affected by Bay Park … should be the main concern of each and every politician.”