New York State to Shut Down 36 Long Island Cesspools by 2019

A total of 36 cesspools located on Long Island will be closed by 2019 after a complaint was filed against the New York State and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, according to the U.S. Attorney.

The complaint alleges that the state violated the Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”) by operating a total of 54 large capacity cesspools at various New York State parks for years after the regulatory deadline which they were required to close them.

The cesspools have received untreated sanitary waste, including human excreta, have an open bottom or perforated sides, and have the capacity to serve 20 or more persons a day, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Nutrient pollution of the ground and surface waters in and surrounding Suffolk County is a longstanding problem that threatens the area’s water quality and ecosystem, the U.S. Attorney said.

The majority are above the Nassau/Suffolk County Sole Source Aquifer, which supplies most of the drinking water for the population of Long Island.

The parks where the cesspools were found include:

• 3 at the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Upper Brookville
• 2 at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park in Great River
• 5 at Bethpage State Park in Bethpage
• 4 at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve in Smithtown
• 5 at the Connetquot River State Park Preserve in North Great River
• 11 at the Hither Hills State Park in Montuak
• 1 at the Montauk Downs State Park in Montauk
• 2 at the Orient Beach State Park in Orient
• 3 at the Sag Harbor State Golf Course in Sag Harbor

The cesspools at all the locations must be closed down or converted by July 2019, which is estimated to cost a total of $8.8 million. In addition, the state has be pay a $150,000 in civil penalties.

Most of the Long Island Prohibited LCCs will be closed by September 2017 and the remaining Prohibited LCCs on Long Island will be closed by September 2018.

At Robert Moses State Park, Sunken Meadow State Park, Wildwood State Park, and Caumsett State Historic Park, the state will install urine separation systems that divert the collected urine to a wastewater treatment facility for treatment, rather than discharging it into the ground.

At Connetquot River State Park Preserve and Hallock State Park, the state will install nitrogen reducing technology for sanitary waste.

At Captree State Park, the state will install a constructed wetland for sanitary waste treatment to benefit the Main Comfort Station and Restaurant as well as install green technology site improvements for stormwater treatment, and retrofit the existing stormwater drainage facilities with a bioretention system.

"Public parks and water pollution don't go together," EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck said. "After years of being out of compliance with federal law, New York State will finally close the numerous cesspools found in state parks, helping protect groundwater from nitrogen and other pollutants."