NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Lawmakers are looking for voters to approve an ⅛ cent sales tax increase to fund the expansion of sewers in Suffolk County.
A bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers, environmentalists, construction groups, and labor union representatives is pushing for this new plan to fund a dramatic expansion of sewers and high-tech septic systems in the final days of New York State budget negotiations.
When it comes to sewers, Nassau County and Suffolk are opposites. Whereas most Nassau County residents have sewer systems, nearly 75% of Suffolk County homes rely on traditional septic systems or cesspools in the ground.
These septic systems account for 63.3% of the nitrogen that reaches groundwater, according to the county’s Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan adopted in 2020.
“We’re not treating our sewage, and that has allowed it to pollute the underground drinking water supply,” Adrienne Esposito from the Citizens Campaign for the Environment told WCBS 880.
The proposed tax hike would help fund construction of new sewers in areas where they’d be appropriate and install high-tech septic systems at homes and businesses.
If approved to go on the ballot in Suffolk County, residents would have to vote yes or no to an ⅛ sales tax increase to put sewers in neighborhoods across the county.
“The result is cleaner water for everyone,” Esposito said.
The county projects the tax increase could generate $57.8 million in its first year and a total of $3.1 billion between 2024 and 2060.
Related
Related
Related
