Work has started on key elements of the $408.8 Million Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Initiative, including building a new wastewater treatment plant to serve nearly 1,900 Households
On Jan. 27, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced the groundbreaking of the $223.9 million Forge River Watershed Sewer District project designed to reduce nitrogen loading and improve water quality for homeowners and businesses located in the Mastic-Shirley area.
Once completed in 2025, a new wastewater treatment plant in Mastic, Town of Brookhaven, will serve nearly 1,900 parcels in the nearby Shirley-Mastic area.
“Superstorm Sandy exposed the need to further protect our coastline communities on Long Island from the impact of climate change,” Hochul said in a statement. “Today’s groundbreaking marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to build resiliency. Everyone deserves easy access to safe water, and this project will help improve water quality for Suffolk County residents, reduce harmful pollutants, and further protect Long Island’s delicate coastal ecosystem so that it can better withstand more intense storms in the future.”
The Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Initiative includes wastewater conveyance and treatment upgrades along with sewer system connections for more than 4,000 parcels in the Town of Babylon, with connections for an additional 1,900 parcels in Mastic-Shirley.
This project leverages federal and state resources with local funding to prevent nitrogen and other contaminants from polluting Long Island’s coastal waters, the governor’s office says in a statement. “Other environmental benefits to this critical project include improving water quality, restoring ecosystems, and bolstering natural coastal barriers to protect communities from future flooding and severe storms.”
