Suffolk County starts new wastewater treatment study

A new project in Suffolk County, US, will look at whether septic tanks and cesspools used within Orient could be replaced by new high-tech wastewater treatment systems. Cesspools and septic tanks are used throughout the hamlet or Orient and if the project is able to be implemented, it will be the first time such a wastewater system has been used within an existing community.

It is intended that new developments be used within the wastewater systems if they are able to be implemented, including technology that will see nitrogen removed from effluent before it is released. Nitrogen pollution originating from septic tanks and cesspools has been blamed by scientists for the increasing blooms of algae found in the area's water. This pollution affects marine life and reduces water quality.

It is thought by local lawmakers that the implementation of new wastewater systems could help to reduce nitrogen pollution by between 50 and 90 per cent, reports the Suffolk Times. This could mean that drinking water, which is provided through wells in the area, becomes much safer.

The project could eventually see small wastewater treatment facilities installed throughout the local area, helping to clean up the ecosystem. Some $60,000 (£35,661) will be spent by the country to pay for an engineering report to explore the options for homeowners in the hamlet when it comes to waste treatment. This further study follows on from preliminary research, which was completed in December 2013 for Peconic Green Growth.

This preliminary study found the hamlet of Orient would be best suited to subsurface wastewater treatment facilities. Further studies will look at a total of seven parcels identified in the previous research, which could provide treatment for the waste of around 574 people in the area - total population, according to the 2020 census, stands at 743.

The project will provide a design - although not a final plan - for new treatment options for wastewater in the future. It is hoped that those living in the area will agree with the recommendations, which could lead to the updating of the system.