Residents to Vote on Creation of Forge River Watershed Sewer District
Residents to Vote on Creation of Forge River Watershed Sewer District
On Tuesday, January 22, 2019 residents of Mastic and Shirley will have the opportunity to vote on a referendum which will determine the creation of the Forge River Watershed Sewer District. Voting will take place at the Mastic Fire House located at 1080 Mastic Road and polls are open from 6AM to 9PM. Only residents who are registered to vote within the proposed boundaries of the first two phases are eligible to cast a ballot. The referendum will read “Shall Resolution No 907-2018, Adopting certain Findings and Determinations and Issuing an Order to Establish Suffolk County Sewer District No. 27 – Forge River, Be Approved?” and residents will have the option to vote either yes or no. A yes vote will mean that the resident is supportive of the formation of the sewer district.
The Forge River Watershed Sewer Project is the result of years of work by multiple interested parties ranging from community groups, environmental advocates, and Suffolk County Government. As a result of this work, $167 Million in grant funding has been secured to help fund this project. Securing this funding has made hook ups for all residential homes in phase 1 and 2 free. That means that there will be absolutely no cost incurred by the property owner for any equipment, installation of the sewers, connection from the house to the system, abandonment of the old septic tanks/cesspools as well as property restoration. Also, construction of the infrastructure and sewage treatment plant is 100% funded by federal grants. The only cost incurred by the property owner is an annual charge of $470 which is needed to operate and maintain the system. “This sewer project is something that my staff and I have been working on tirelessly since day one in office.” Stated Legislator Sunderman “We were able to secure additional grant funding to lower the cost from around $1,000 down to $470 per household and I am also working very hard to secure additional grant funding and possible low interest loans for the business owners of the district.”
This sewer district is being established to protect the health and safety of our community and our water. As a result of nitrogen pollution from our septic systems and cesspools the Forge River and our bays are highly polluted resulting in brown tides, algae blooms, and fish kills. By installing a sewer system within our community we can treat the wastewater before being discharged and we can revitalize our waterways and environment.
This referendum is a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect homes in the Mastic/Shirley community to a modern sewer system utilizing federal funds to offset the costs. Septic systems and cesspools can be expensive to fix and can cost in excess of $10,000 to replace when they fail. There will also be a time when these antiquated systems will need to be upgraded to meet modern sewage treatment standards. The formation of the Forge River Watershed Sewer District has the potential to save homeowners money and protect our environment while increasing property values within the community.
Throughout the past year Legislator Sunderman has hosted a series of public information and educational meetings to ensure the community is receiving the most up to date facts regarding this project. “This is a huge step to move our community forward and your support means a lot to not just me but your fellow community members. I hope to see you all out at the polls on January 22nd.” Said Sunderman. Information regarding the proposed sewer district can be found at https://www.forgewatershedsewers.com/ or if there are any questions please contact Legislator Sunderman’s office directly at (631) 852-1300.