Patchogue wastewater plant is finished

A 15-month expansion and improvement of Patchogue’s wastewater treatment plant is finished, village Mayor Paul Pontieri said Thursday.

The project increased the 85-year-old South Street plant’s capacity from 500,000 gallons per day to 800,000, Pontieri said.

The $10.8-million expansion was funded with a mix of federal, state and village funds, including $5.4 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A 30-year, $4.2-million loan from the state Environmental Facilities Corp. will be repaid with revenue collected from the sewer district tax.

Pontieri called the wastewater treatment plant “the most important asset of our downtown business district,” adding that “this upgrade and expansion will help drive the economic engine of our village for future generations.”

Pontieri is scheduled to tour the expanded South Street facility on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. with Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton).