Advocacy group pushes town to reduce nitrogen pollution

Kevin McAllister, founder of Defend H20, and Councilwoman Louisa Evans at Tuesdays Town Board work session. (Credit: Cyndi Murray)

Wastewater management advocacy group Defend H2O is urging the Southold Town Board to follow in the footsteps of Brookhaven Town and adopt more stringent sewer discharge regulations.

Board members, however, say Brookhavens law may not be the solution for Southold.

During Tuesday mornings Town Board work session, Kevin McAllister, founder of Defend H2O and former Peconic Baykeeper, continued his push for East End towns to enact regulations similar to Brookhavens, which are aimed at reducing nitrogen pollution associated with sewer systems.

High nitrogen levels in area waters have been feeding harmful algal blooms the red tide the area sees each summer which in turn have damaged the local ecosystem by depriving water bodies of oxygen. As a result, area fisheries have suffered.

Supervisor Scott Russell said Mr. McAllisters proposal has merit, but said the law wouldnt address Southold Towns primary source of nitrogen discharge: septic systems and cesspools serving single-family dwellings.

Under Brookhavens law, which passed in January, existing buildings within the Carmans River watershed have 10 years to replace or upgrade their systems to comply with stricter regulations three parts per million of nitrogen for structures generating 1,000 to 3,000 gallons of flow per day and require new businesses in the same watershed to install them upon construction, Mr. McAllister said.

Single-family homes average 350 to 500 gallons of flow per day, so they would not be affected by the stricter regulations, he said. Since Southold Town comprises mainly single-family dwellings, Mr. Russell said the town would need to research the proposal further before moving forward.

The problem Southold has with nitrogen loading is: How do we retrofit a community of 11,000 houses? Mr. Russell said after the meeting. Southolds real challenge isnt new development, it is existing buildings. Basically what [Mr. McAllister] has proposed, which is a sound idea, would pertain in most instances to new development or construction.

With development projects including a proposed senior living community called the Heritage at Cutchogue in the works, Mr. McAllister said any step the town takes to strengthen its septic discharge standards is a move in the right direction.

Read more:
Advocacy group pushes town to reduce nitrogen pollution