Sewage treatment upgrades spark Western Bay revival

The Western Bays — the waters stretching 10 miles from the East Rockaway Inlet to the Jones Inlet — are in the midst of a much-needed resurgence.

The bays represent a vital sub-region of the South Shore Estuary Reserve, which is a crucial habitat for hundreds of wildlife species along the Atlantic Ocean.

The bays flow along the neighborhoods of East Rockaway, Oceanside, Island Park, Baldwin, Rockville Centre, Freeport and the Long Beach Barrier Island.

The revival follows a decade-long effort by environmental groups to restore water quality and protect the local ecosystem. The Bay Park Conveyance Project was designed to improve water quality to allow the ecological recovery in the Western Bays. The cost of the total project is $439 million.

Spearheaded by the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, the Nature Conservancy, and Operation SPLASH, the clean-water project has delivered significant success, mostly by reducing nitrogen discharge from the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant in East Rockaway.

"The technology installed results in significant nitrogen reductions coming out of the plant," Adrienne Esposito, the citizens campaign’s executive director, said.

The installation of nitrogen-reducing technologies at the Bay Park facility has led to an average 63 percent reduction in nitrogen discharge, and 75 percent less during the summer months.

Before the improvements, the plant discharged what is considered by experts to be a staggering 31.8 milligrams/liter of nitrogen, which has been slashed to 13.8. Given that Bay Park treats between upwards of 60 million gallons of sewage daily, this reduction is a monumental step forward for the Western Bays.

Rob Weltner, president of Operation SPLASH, highlighted the tangible improvements in the bays. The organization is an alliance of more than 5,700 business and individual members that give back to support environmental organizations.

"SPLASH members are on the bay every day, and we see the positive changes because of the significant reduction of nitrogen,” he said. “The bays are cleaner and healthier, with more fish and bird life. We are thrilled with the progress."

The conveyance project, touted as the most environmentally significant initiative ever undertaken in Nassau County, is expected to yield even greater benefits. Once completed, the project will redirect treated effluent to the Cedar Creek Sewage Treatment Plant's ocean outfall pipe, thereby removing the effluent from the Western Bays entirely.

"This is not rocket science — reduce nitrogen and we will achieve cleaner bays,” Esposito said. “We are excited that once the Bay Park Conveyance Project is fully completed, we expect to see restored fish populations, cleaner waters and healthier marshes."

According to Esposito, the primary challenges involved securing adequate funding and fostering collaboration among various levels of government.

"The two biggest obstacles were money, and getting all levels of government to work together," she said. “Federal, state, county and local governments had to align their efforts to make the upgrades a reality.”

Local community involvement also has played a significant role. The public, deeply invested in the health of the bays, engaged in numerous meetings, raising concerns and supporting the restoration efforts.

“We held public meetings,” Esposito said, adding that hundreds of people attended. “The public came. They asked questions. We had community meetings with elected officials."

In a region where waterways are integral to both the environment and local culture, the achievement of these initiatives means a victory for the community.

“Strengthening our shoreline and, ultimately, improving the quality of life for South Shore residents is of the utmost importance," said Howard Kopel, the Nassau County Legislature’s presiding officer, who once represented the Bay Park area, when the upgrades were first initiated. 

Looking ahead, the focus will remain on sustaining and building upon the progress made, according to Esposito, who stressed the need for continued vigilance, including monitoring nitrogen levels by testing the water at different times of the year and at different depths.

"We're working with the state to obtain some funding for long-term monitoring," she said, noting that the return of marine life and improved water clarity will serve as key indicators of success.

With cleaner water, the thriving ecosystems and recreational opportunities that have long defined the South Shore will return.

"The recent upgrades are setting the stage for long-term benefits that will be felt for generations to come," County Legislator Bill Gaylor, who represents East Rockaway, said.

Esposito said she sees a future where the bays are not just cleaner, but fully restored to their natural beauty and vitality. 

"No one is against cleaner bays," she said, “seeing is believing.”  

Have an opinion on the Western Bays cleanup? Send a letter to jbessen@liherald.com.