Southampton expects $35G for pump-out service

Southampton Town officials expect to get $35,000 from the state’s Clean Vessel Assistance Program to help cover the cost of operating seven pump-out boats in town waters this year.

The free town pump-out service runs from May to October, and town trustee Fred Havemeyer says it is one of the best ways to keep the town’s bays clear of pollutants. “People talk about cesspools and other things . . .  we took 120,000 gallons of effluent out of the waters last year,” he said.

New York State pays $5,000 per boat under the program. Southampton’s pump-out operation is budgeted at $101,411.

The town pump-out program started in 1995, and led to the designation of town waters as a no-discharge zone, meaning people cannot legally flush out marine toilets there.

Boat operators who need the service can call the town on marine radio, Channel 73.

Photo: Constable Ted Sadleir, left, and boat operator Rick Boyd with a pump-out boat  at  the Shinnecock Marina, Westhampton.