Fixing Long Island’s Water Woes The Place The Problem Non-point source pollution Sewage About Cesspools and Septic Systems Pharmaceuticals- a growing problem The Solution What the public can do What government can do What the Sierra Club can do More information Who Protects the Lloyd Aquifer? The Place Long Island is positioned directly over sole source aquifers isolated by salt water from the continental aquifers. These freshwater aquifers are the only source of freshwater for Long Island’s expanding population. All around us are ecologically important bodies of water which also serve the recreational and shipping needs of the New York metropolitan area. The Long Island Sound, the Great South Bay, and the Peconic estuary are all significant for migratory birds, spawning fish, and wetlands habitats, as well as being places of fun and tranquility for residents and tourists. (Back to the top) The Problem Beginning with its farming heritage and continuing with the spread of suburban development, Long Island’s ground and surface waters have been subjected to similar pollutants. First pesticides and fertilizers seeped into the ground and out to the streams and rivers. These chemicals have continued with suburban sprawl, and petrochemicals, sewage, pharmaceuticals and other pollutants have been added to the mix. Drinking water sources are becoming increasingly polluted by nitrogen, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other chemicals. Isolated wells have been closed, and there is an ongoing effort by the group Water for Long Island (including Sierra Club’s Long Island Group) to protect the deepest protected Lloyd Aquifer from being tapped to dilute nitrogen levels from a tainted well. Similarly, Long Island’s rivers and bays are in serious trouble, with some experiencing severe die-offs. Eutrophication is an increase in chemical nutrients — compounds containing nitrogen or phosphorus — in an ecosystem, and may occur on land or in water. However, the term is often used to mean the resultant increase in the ecosystem's primary productivity (excessive plant growth and decay), and further effects including lack of oxygen and severe reductions in water quality, fish, and other animal populations. (Back to the top) Non-point source pollution Non-point source pollution describes the sum of the many individual sources of pollution from households and businesses. Some of the biggest polluters are oil, pesticides, fertilizer, and pet waste. One pint of oil can cause an oil slick the size of a football field, and used motor oil is the biggest source of non-point source oil pollution. Yearly, the US spills the equivalent of 16 Exxon Valdez spills into our waters. Overuse of lawn fertilizers contributes as much as half of nitrogen pollution in water, and pesticides can drift or wash away to waters where they can affect aquatic organisms or people. Pet waste is a major reason for beach closings due to coliform bacteria- this is a good point to make with public education. (Back to the top) Sewage About 25 percent of the U.S. population relies on decentralized—or onsite—wastewater treatment systems. In Suffolk County (most of Nassau County is sewered), the number is much higher- in a 1990 census 70 percent of homes used septic tanks or cesspools! Around 20 percent of inspected systems are obviously failing to properly treat waste, but the number contaminating ground and surface waters is likely far higher. The major sewage pollutants are nitrates, phosphates, and harmful bacteria. Nitrates in drinking water source can cause methemoglobinemia, or blue baby syndrome, and other health problems for pregnant women. Nitrates and phosphorus in surface water can spur algal growth and low dissolved oxygen, which in turn leads to die-offs. This has been seen dramatically in the Forge River and has been attributed to a high concentration of septic systems near the river. Harmful bacteria reaching ground water or surface waters can cause human disease through direct or indirect ingestion. Extensive article on Waste Treatment (doc format) (Back to the top) About Cesspools and Septic Systems The article about this subject is covered in a DOC formatted file which will open when clicking on the above link. (Back to the top) Pharmaceuticals- a growing problem More people taking more prescription drugs leads to more biologically active chemicals being passed to the wastewater and into the ground. Traces of the most commonly used chemicals (anti-depressants, birth control) have begun showing up in streams and wells across the country- this can be expected to increase as wastewater from the last decade move through the aquifers. Public education should be used to inform people that prescription drugs should be thrown in the garbage, not dumped down the drains. (Back to the top) The Solution Since drinking water and surface water are two different but related issues on Long Island, the solution is combined education and policy designed to reduce the common pollutants. To improve the water, we must go straight to the source of the problem- bad waste management and careless use of chemicals. (Back to the top) What the public can do The public can make conscious decisions to reduce individual contribution, and become a messenger of environmental solutions. They can practice water conservation, maintain and inspect septic systems regularly, and dispose of household chemical and pet waste at a STOP collection site or in the garbage as appropriate. If cesspools fail, they should be replaced with a well planned septic system (though this is not legally required), and if the home is in a sensitive (high water table) area, homeowners should look into more advanced treatment options. Residents can reduce the number and amount of chemicals you use in and around the house. Buried oil tanks- abandoned or not, should be removed. If they begin to leak, remediation can grow into the many thousands of dollars, so it is best to remove them as soon as possible. The public can act as environmental messengers to share knowledge of the problems and solutions, and thereby reduce the cost to government of fixing our mistakes. (Back to the top) What government can do Leaders in government need to develop a unified plan to protect ground and surface water, including working together on standards, regulations, oversight, and public education. Both Nassau and Suffolk Counties should protect special groundwater recharge areas, which are being developed regularly. Reducing sewage and other pollutants closest to surface water, in high building density areas, and in groundwater recharge areas should be an immediate priority while longer term general solutions are planned out. More intensive treatment systems can be added to septic systems for about $6,000 each that remove 60-80% of nitrogen and can be used in high water table areas (although in high water table areas the phosphate treatment of a regular septic system is lost, so perhaps a holding tank is most appropriate there), and sewering should be used for super-high density downtown areas. All levels of government from national to local can and should work together to generate funding to immediately update sewage treatment in these especially sensitive locations. Some municipalities are beginning to address the causes of water pollution, especially non-point source pollution from road runoff, but real solutions will take real commitment from the public and from officials. A draft water resources management plan should be coming from Suffolk County this fall. (Back to the top) What the Sierra Club can do To address surface water, the Long Island group will build on our current efforts to protect estuary health. We recently donated a storm water filtration basin to a village to reduce harmful non-point source runoff and led a conservation outing addressing estuary health. We have held two community meetings on ground (2006) and surface water (2007). We are active members of the LI Water group, which meets monthly to work to on these issues. We are also currently supporting two measures that will protect water by preserving open space. One is a ¼ cent sales tax to fund Suffolk County open space, the other is a community preservation fund in Brookhaven township, which would utilize a real estate transfer tax to fund open space purchases. The information included here is being published in the Fall LI Group newsletter in the form of an article, along with information on keeping a septic system fully functioning. These steps can be expanded with the development of educational materials for the classroom and for targeted distribution to the public. With the help of volunteers, we can be a more active participant in public decisions affecting our water, by commenting on and (this is really a major goal) contributing to formation of public policy. Additionally, Long Island’s rivers could be aided by the River Sentinels program, in which volunteers track the health of rivers by gathering samples and submitting them for analysis, paid for by the Sierra Club. Overall, a more focused campaign plan is needed, and I hope that the national water committee can help us with this. (Back to the top) More information 1. A summary of information about onsite wastewater treatment systems (any system that discharges to the ground and is not centralized sewering) is attached, provided by Jane Pearl of the Beford Conservation Board. This summary includes a discussion of more advanced treatment options. 2. National Small Flows Clearinghouse provides a variety of information about onsite wastewater treatment systems, including technical and governmental. 3. National Decentralized Water Resources Capacity Development Project is a cooperative effort funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency which supports research and development to improve our understanding and strengthen the foundations of training and practice in the field of onsite/decentralized wastewater and stormwater treatment. 4. Clearwater is an information clearinghouse on clean water issues. – “presenting the best and latest on sustainable urban water management. Clearwater presents training, resources, advice and referrals so you can achieve real change in your urban environment.” 5. American Ground Water Trust: “The Mission of the American Ground Water Trust is to: protect ground water, promote public awareness of the environmental and economic importance of ground water, provide accurate information to assist public participation in water resources decisions and management. 6. Fact sheet: 1-1 SMALL-SCALE SEPTIC SYSTEMS:THEIR THREAT TO DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES AND OPTIONS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT 1-2 Michigan’s Drinking Water web sit. 7. EPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual 8. Suffolk County septic standards (pdf file) The Lloyd Aquifer MAJOR UPDATE! We are very pleased to announce that DEC Commissioner Grannis ruled in favor of the Sierra Club and other groups’ position, and denied the well permit to SCWA. Congratulations are in order for all those who testified in opposition to SCWA’s application in DEC court, and to Sarah Meyland for coordinating the intensive court proceedings to oppose the application. For more information about the Lloyd and the reasons to protect it, see below. Who Protects the Lloyd Aquifer? The Sierra Club, LI Group, along with a number of other groups and individuals, is protecting the oldest and most pristine aquifer formation beneath Long Island, the Lloyd Aquifer. The Lloyd formation is over 50 million years old and the water in it is as much as 8,000 years old, nearly as old as the last ice age. Because the Lloyd Aquifer is at the bottom of the sequence of aquifer layers located beneath Long Island, it usually takes decades for water to reach and replenish it. And it takes thousands of years for water in the Lloyd to slowly migrate to the coastline where it discharges into the Atlantic Ocean or Long Island Sound. For the past 20 years, the Lloyd Aquifer has been protected by a state-imposed “moratorium” on drilling any new wells into it unless they are for use by “coastal communities.” Coastal communities are areas vulnerable to saltwater intrusion. When sea water moves inland, taking the place of fresh water in the aquifers, this is saltwater intrusion. By this process, water can eventually become too salty to drink and the affected community must find a new source of water. The chloride content of sea water is about 19,000 parts per million (ppm). It only takes 250 ppm of chlorides to make water undrinkable under the New York State drinking water standards. Taking too much fresh water out of the groundwater system by over-pumping can cause saltwater intrusion. Without the force of the fresh water to hold out the ocean, it moves into the aquifer contaminating it. As the smallest of the three primary aquifers, the Lloyd contains only 9% of the total freshwater on Long Island. Significant pumping can easily produce saltwater intrusion in the Lloyd. For over 20 years, it has been accepted policy that the Lloyd must be protected and preserved for those coastal areas that need it now or in the future. However, the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) is trying to be the first non-coastal community in decades to gain access to the pristine Lloyd waters. A SCWA well field in the East Northport area of Huntington is seriously polluted by a number of chemicals including nitrates, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and perchlorates. Nitrate levels are high because too much raw sewage from septic tanks is being discharged into the ground. Nitrates may cause blue-baby syndrome. VOCs are those toxic chemicals you read so much about. Many are potential carcinogens. They come from spills, industrial discharges and consumer products such as paint thinner or nail polish. Perchlorate is officially identified as a derivative of rocket fuel. Scientists speculate it may also be produced by the breakdown of certain fertilizer products. Perchlorates are linked to thyroid disease and possibly prostate cancer. At the East Northport well field site, near the VA Hospital, SCWA wants to drill a new Lloyd well. From that well, they propose to take very pure water and “blend” it with water from a closed well high in Nitrates. By dilution, the Nitrate level can be dropped below the drinking water standard and then the water is sold back to the customers. The Sierra Club and others have opposed the SCWA plan. In our view, SCWA is not faced with an emergency or extreme hardship - - the legal standard that would allow them to use the Lloyd. If SCWA were to succeed in their efforts, it would likely open the door for more water suppliers to enter and ultimately over-pump this fragile water source. This would ruin the oldest and cleanest water remaining on Long Island. The old adage, the “solution to pollution is dilution” is not the answer in this case. The answer is to honor the Lloyd Moratorium and save the Lloyd for those who truly need it. Sarah Meyland Sierra Club Member and Associate Professor New York Institute of Technology MAJOR UPDATE! We are very pleased to announce that DEC Commissioner Grannis ruled in favor of the Sierra Club and other groups’ position, and denied the well permit to SCWA. Congratulations are in order for all those who testified in opposition to SCWA’s application in DEC court, and to Sarah Meyland for coordinating it. About Cesspools and Septic Systems The article about this subject is covered in a DOC formatted file which will open when clicking on the above link.   The Sierra Club is a nonprofit member-supported, public interest organization that promotes conservation of the natural environment by influencing public policy decisions -- legislative, administrative, legal, and electoral. Click here for an interactive, quick, tour of who we are and how you can be part of it. Up to Top