ABOUT OUR CLIENTS
ABOUT OUR CLIENTS
Many homeowners are not aware of the grant funding that's available for advanced septic systems.
Suffolk County has monies available to install advanced septic systems because of the ongoing water pollution concerns.
We're committed to connecting with homeowners and walking them through the process. We will help with the online grant application process.
Septic Improvement Program Overview
Nitrogen pollution from cesspools and septic systems has been identified as the largest single cause of degraded water quality contributing to beach closures, restrictions on shellfishing, toxic algae blooms, and massive fish kills. A conventional onsite septic system was never designed to remove nitrogen. The average residential septic system discharges approximately 40 pounds of nitrogen per year. For homeowners close to surface waters in Suffolk County nitrogen can rapidly reach surface waters where it contributes to degradation of our marshes, bays, and beaches. Even inland, nitrogen from septic systems will eventually reach the groundwater and surface waters.
Thousands of parcels are currently served by polluting cesspools and septic systems, but will never connect to a sewer system. Reversing degradation of water quality will depend on replacement of existing systems with new, individual Innovative and Alternative Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (I/A OWTS).
Over the past several years, Suffolk County has assertively set the stage for the transition to the use of these new systems. To make the cost of I/A systems that remove nitrogen to protect water quality more affordable for homeowners, Suffolk County has developed the Septic Improvement Program. Under the Reclaim Our Water Septic Improvement Program, homeowners who decide to replace their cesspool or septic system with the new technologies will be eligible for a grant of up to $30,000 from Suffolk County and New York State to offset the cost of one of the new systems. In addition to the grant, homeowners can qualify to finance the remaining cost of the systems over 15 years at a low 3% fixed interest rate. The loan program will be administered by Community Development Corporation of Long Island Funding Corp, with financial support from Bridgehampton National Bank, in the amount $1 million and financial commitments from several philanthropic foundations.
*Note: The average total cost for approved systems, including attendant engineering and design services, is approximately $19,200. Costs will vary on a case-by-case basis. Please review our documents detailing the estimated vendor costs, and costs associated with owning an I/A OWTS.
Grant Eligibility Criteria:
In order for an application to be considered for a grant the following preliminary criteria must be met:
Priority Areas:
Applications will be received, scored, and ranked in the following order of priority: