Connetquot River Watershed Sewer Project

1. Presented by P.W. Grosser Consulting
on behalf of
Suffolk County Department of Public Works
December 14, 2016

2. Agenda
 Team Introduction
 Suffolk County’s Water Quality Initiatives
 Sewer Projects Purpose and Goals
 Connetquot River Project Facts
 Project Timeframe
 Preliminary Project Costs

3. Project Team
 Suffolk County Department of Public Works
 P.W. Grosser Consulting – Project Lead
 CJ2 Communications – Public Relations
 Sidney Bowne and B. Thayer Associates – Survey Team

4. Suffolk County’s Water Quality
Initiatives
 In 2015 Suffolk County Completed their
Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan
 Among other projects recommended in the plan four
large sewer projects focused around south shore rivers
emerged, including the following:
 Carlls River
 Connetquot River
 Forge River
 Patchogue River

5. Proposed Sewer Projects Goals
 Provide sewer service to 11,000 parcels – 465 in Great
River
 The four (4) sewer projects remove close to 860
pounds of nitrogen from the Great South Bay
Watershed
 Protect Connetquot River

6. Map of Overall Projects

7. Purpose of These Projects
 Protect Long Island’s Sole Source Aquifers from
Nitrate Contamination
 Reduce Nitrate Levels in Surface Waters
 Reduce Occurrence of Harmful Algal Blooms
 Restore Wetland and Seagrass Areas
 Improve Coastal Resiliency

8. Physical Impact of Nitrogen on the
Great South Bay
 Caused the GSB to be listed on NYSDEC’s 303(d) list of
impaired water bodies since 2008, restricts its
commercial and recreational viability.
 Nitrogen is essential to aquatic plant life; but in excess
can lead to harmful algal blooms that consume oxygen
when the algae die and decompose. The resulting low
oxygen condition (hypoxia) can negatively affect other
plant and sea life populations.

9. Impact on Hard Clam Harvest
In 1976 the price received by fisherman (ex-vessel price) for the clams commercially
harvested from the Great South Bay totaled $16.9 million, however at modern day
prices the same harvest would yield approximately $63.5 million, according to the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

10. Project Description
 Comprised of the hamlet Great River
 Connect 465 parcels to municipal sewer system
 Gravity Sewer System – Will connect to Southwest Sewer
District
 Some Pump Stations may be necessary
 Remove 41 pounds per day of nitrogen from entering
the groundwater

11. Study Area / District Boundary

12. Land Use Map

13. Project Timeframe
 Survey Work
 Initial Control Survey Has Begun
 Door to Door Surveys – First Quarter of 2017
 Project Website – First Quarter of 2017
 Figures and Reports
 Meeting Dates and Notices
 Engineering Report – Work Has Begun
 Next Public Meeting – February 2017

14. Door to Door Surveys
 Notify via mailing and website of scheduled work
 Two Man Survey Crews
 Will have Photo ID
 From B. Thayer Associates
 Obtain the Following Information
 Topographic Information of the property
 First Floor Elevation of your house/business
 Sewer Line Invert Elevation
 Take Picture of the Property
 Leave Flyer on how to measure your sewer line invert
elevation, if you are not home or don’t want to allow the
survey crew access.

15. Preliminary Budget Estimates
• The “hard costs” for each phase were determined based upon the
preliminary sewer layout and typical construction costs.
• The budget estimates also include the “soft costs” for engineering,
surveying and legal fees.
• Given the preliminary nature of the design a 15 percent contingency was
also included, to account for unforeseen conditions.

16. Determining Operation and
Maintenance Costs
 Comprised of two parts
 Per Parcel Charge = $36.00
 User Fee = $157.00
 Total O&M Fee = $193.00
 Based on SCSD # 3 – Southwest 2017 Fees
 For users utilizing Pump Stations
 Additional annual O&M for the Pump Station
 Electric costs = $50
 Optional pump service contract = $500

17. Financing and Assessed Value
 To determine the annual cost per household, the
available funding options and assessed property value
were utilized.
 Funding will be a combination of Grants and loans
from New York State Environmental Facilities
Corporation (EFC), which provides loans at 2 percent
interest for 30 years.
 The median assessed value for the study area was
determined to be $65,200, which equates to a property
value of approximately $513,000.

18. Annual Costs
Grant
Percentage
Debt Service District O&M Total Amount
0% $2,502 $193 $2,695
25% $1,876 $193 $2,069
50% $1,251 $193 $1,444
75% $625 $193 $818
The costs above are subject to change as Suffolk County is currently
exploring options on allocating grants monies across all projects.

19. Economic Impact of Nitrogen
 Septic system cost elimination
 Improved water quality in Great South Bay and
Connetquot River
 Increase recreation and commercial fishing activity.
 Improved coastal resiliency
 As a result, increased value of property throughout the
study area and along the Great South Bay.

20. Questions?