Up to $30,000 in Grant Funding to Upgrade Septic Systems Available for East End Homeowners

UP TO $30,000 IN GRANT FUNDING TO UPGRADE SEPTIC SYSTEMS AVAILABLE FOR EAST END HOMEOWNERS
Group for the East End Partners with Suffolk County to Raise Awareness of Upgrading to New, Nitrogen-Reducing Septic Systems to Benefit Water Quality

(East End of Long Island, New York… November 2019) In a campaign to raise awareness of grant funding available to East End homeowners to upgrade septic systems, Group for the East End and Suffolk County have partnered in an effort to mitigate nitrogen pollution in our waters. East End residents may now take advantage of up to $30,000 in grant funding from New York State, Suffolk County, and several East End towns. Postcards with more valuable information on the program, including the launch of the new website, cleanwatercash.org, were created and have begun landing in East End mailboxes.

Scientists have confirmed that the vast majority of septic systems installed across the East End don’t effectively treat sewage, and contribute to the pollution of our beautiful bays and harbors. These faulty systems have been identified as the largest contributor of nitrogen pollution to the East End’s surface and groundwater systems, leading to beach closures, shellfishing restrictions, toxic algal blooms, and drinking water contamination, and has had an impact on the local economy and tourism. With grant funding from Suffolk County and the Long Island Community Foundation, Group for the East End has conducted outreach and education regarding the availability of substantial funding for East End residents.

“Fortunately, the technology is now available to greatly improve our wastewater treatment and residents can take advantage of a growing number of financial incentives that significantly reduce the cost of getting advanced treatment systems installed,” said Group for the East End president Bob DeLuca. “We developed the ‘Clean Water Cash’ website as a tool to help every resident easily understand the water quality issues facing our region, and find out what incentives they can qualify for if they want to install an advanced treatment system on their property. Thanks to support from Suffolk County and the Long Island Community Foundation, we are getting the word out through cleanwatercash.org and other outlets, and we are looking forward to cleaner waters all across our magnificent East End.”

Replacing older and failing systems with new state-of-the-start technology will lessen nitrogen pollution and lead to cleaner water. These innovative and advanced onsite wastewater treatment systems reduce nitrogen input up to 70%, as reported by Suffolk County.

The County’s Reclaim Our Water Septic Improvement Program is providing citizens with an opportunity to play a direct role in cleaning up water pollution by administrating up to $30,000 in County and State funding to upgrade conventional septic systems to new, state-of-the-art nitrogen educing septic technology. More information on Suffolk County’s program can also be found at cleanwatercash.org.

The towns of Southampton, East Hampton, and Shelter Island offer additional grants that can be combined with County and State funding. In order to receive funding, residents have to meet eligibility requirements and apply for the funding.

In support of this campaign, Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming said, “The primary culprit of the nitrogen pollution is widely recognized as inadequate septic treatment. New York State, Suffolk County, East Hampton, Shelter Island, and Southampton Towns have all recognized this critical issue through the funding of grants. I applaud the work of the partnership between the Group for the East End and Suffolk County in making the process for eligible homeowners more accessible by compiling information for these valuable programs and launching cleanwatercash.org.”

Also in support, Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski shared, “Thank you to the Group for the East End for partnering with Suffolk County to get the word out about the Septic Improvement Program. I encourage homeowners to take advantage of the significant grants available and consider installing an advanced waste water treatment system. This program is vitally important in protecting our ground and surface waters.”

Learn more about grant funding at cleanwatercash.org.

Group for the East End protects and restores the environment of eastern Long Island through professional advocacy and education. We fight for the protection of our land, water, and wildlife, inspire children to become stewards of the environment, and engage the community to embrace a conservation ethic and take action.

For more information about Group for the East End, visit groupfortheeastend.org or call 631.765.6450. Find them online at Facebook/groupeastend, Instagram/@groupfortheeastend, and Twitter/@g4ee. For media inquiries, contact Rachel Bosworth at rachel@rachelbosworth.com or 631.220.1220.