Stepping up to replace septic systems

It’s really important to do everything we can to not only locate the septic systems, but see if they’re working correctly.”

Delia DeRiggi Whitton, Nassau County legislator

How to maintain your septic system

Regularly pump out your septic tank.

Have it inspected at least once a year.

Do not park or drive vehicles or equipment over it.

Do not build a patio or deck over it, because it could cover the absorption field, where wastewater is absorbed by the surrounding soil, and limit access to the septic tank.

Do not flush strong chemicals, such as household bleach, disinfectants, motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides or floor cleaner, that could disrupt the system.

Do not flush materials that do not easily degrade — paper towels, hygiene products, medications or diapers.

Avoid septic tank additives.

Avoid garbage disposals or grinders, because they increase the number of solids in the system that need to be filtered.

— New York State Department of Health

Nitrogen pollution from cesspools and septic systems is the No. 1 enemy of water quality on Long Island, including on the North Shore.

According to Nassau County’s Septic Environmental Program to Improve Cleanliness, or SEPTIC, these traditional sewage systems are not designed to filter nitrogen. So nitrogen has been absorbed by the ground and seeped into the bays, causing elevated bacterial levels, restrictions on shell fishing, toxic algae blossoms and massive fish kills. As summer approaches and beaches and marinas open to the public, reducing bacterial levels becomes the focus of efforts to protect the environment, and the community’s health.

The County Legislature voted a month ago to allocate $2 million in grant funding to SEPTIC. The incentive was meant to encourage homeowners and small businesses to participate in the program by offering grants of up to $20,000 to replace existing septic systems that are outdated or no longer properly filtering wastewater.

Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, of Glen Cove, has been a vocal advocate of the program. Her 11th district, she said, which includes Sea Cliff, Glenwood Landing and Glen Cove, encompasses most of the remaining 10 percent of the county that does not have sewers.

“It’s a really big program for my district, probably more than any legislator,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “Since we live on top of water, it’s extremely important to upgrade as many systems as we possibly can.”

“Glen Cove is only a small portion, like 100 houses that are not sewered,” she added. “So it’s not … as pressing to them to get a septic system, but the Sea Cliff and Glenwood Landing portion of my district, as well as Sands Point, are the ones that really can benefit more from this program.”

The first North Shore business to have its septic systems replaced was Bridge Marina in Bayville, which has a marina and clam bar, a boat sale business and corporate office at three separate locations on Ludlum Avenue. One of its owners, Genevieve Relyea, said that her husband found out about the program by reading about it in the Oyster Bay Herald.

Because the business’s three septic systems were over 60 years old, their replacement was a preventive measure. “We’re really committed to being environmentally conscious and environmentally sound,” Relyea said, “particularly because we own a marina at a restaurant that operates on the waterfront, in Mill Creek. And we want to always ensure that we’re taking every available action to protect the environment that we and our customers love and appreciate.”

One of Bridge Marina’s locations, at 34 Ludlum Ave., had its septic system replaced in March. The installation took about a day.

Help from the county made applying for the program easy, Relyea said. She was given recommendations for contractors, and the installation was problem-free, prompting her to begin work at the marina’s next location, at 40 Ludlum Ave.

“We didn’t want to commit all three immediately and then find out it was a nightmare,” Relyea said. “But the first one was so smooth that, really, we immediately started on the second business.”

Sewer systems pump wastewater to treatment facilities, and do not require regular maintenance like septic systems. DeRiggi-Whitton acknowledged, however, installing these systems in her district would cost more, because properties are widely spaced.

According to SEPTIC, new clean-water septic systems use nitrogen-reducing technology that helps convert the organic nitrogen found in wastewater into harmless nitrogen gas. For easier maintenance, the systems’ separate compartments are replaceable, so homeowners don’t have to dig up the entire system. The upgrade will help reduce levels of bacteria found in the water.

“This is kind of a replacement of the cesspool,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “It’s like a new design of a septic tank, basically, that is just much more efficient as far as getting nitrogen out of the water.”

Homeowners and small businesses with septic systems that produce no more than 1,000 gallons of wastewater per day and are not connected to a sewer district are eligible for the program. A three-year maintenance agreement is included with the installation.

“It’s really important to do everything we can to not only locate the septic systems, but see if they’re working correctly,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “See if the nitrogen levels are high in the soil, and then, where we can, to replace them with a system like these.”

Although the grants cover most of the cost of the replacement and installation, home and business owners are responsible for some of the expenses. Even so, Relyea said, the benefits for the environment are well worth it. “If we don’t proactively take some steps to protect the environment,” she said, “we’re not going to have it forever.”