Suffolk's strides toward cleaner water
Red tide is seen in Little Peconic Bay on Long Island's East End (July 30, 2010) Credit: Doug Kuntz
The stark reality is that most of Suffolk County will remain without sewers for years to come. Meanwhile, as development continues, we have to make a maximum effort to reduce nitrogen in our aquifers and surface waters. So Suffolk acted wisely in approving two additional systems that are effective at the vital task of filtering out nitrogen.
One, Nitrex, has shown impressive results in removing nitrogen from wastewater -- to 2 to 3 parts per million. The state drinking-water standard is 10. The second, BESST, is also effective at denitrification. Both are the right size for new commercial projects or residential subdivisions of up to 15,000 gallons a day, equal to 50 single-family homes.
The 2011 draft of the county's Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan shows worrisome increases in nitrogen. That nutrient moves through groundwater to the bays, where it leads to algae blooms and other damage to our environment and coastal economy.
Some say the real solution is to stop the march of development. But that's unlikely anytime soon. Meanwhile, most Suffolk homes use cesspools and septic tanks, which release far too much nitrogen. And one complex state-approved system already in use here, Cromaglass, has a mixed record.
So the county's approval of two technologies with a good record will provide choice for developers and competition for Cromaglass. That's helpful. But we have to keep thinking big and working hard on this huge problem. BESST and Nitrex alone won't solve it.
