Southampton Town considers sewage facilities in residential zones

The Southampton Town Board is considering allowing community sewage treatment facilities in its most densely populated residential zones.

A public hearing was held on Feb. 26 to discuss permitting the systems in areas zoned R-10, or quarter-acre residential, the only zone in town that doesn’t allow them. There are several R-10 zones in Southampton, all either on the water or in the Pine Barrens.

No members of the community spoke against the proposal.

Under the proposed law, a cluster treatment system could be installed to serve multiple residences at once. The systems would still require a special approval from the town planning board.

At one time it was thought that allowing wastewater treatment systems would attract greater density to those areas, which is why they were outlawed there. Now those zones are built out anyway, town officials said, and outdated septic systems could be harming water quality by leeching nitrogen in the environmentally sensitive areas.

The board will vote on the code amendment at an upcoming meeting.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.