Report: Bay Park sewage plant is LI's worst

With 54 water-quality violations in five years and a host of other perceived failings, Nassau's troubled Bay Park sewage treatment plant ranked at the bottom of 10 on Long Island in a new report card issued Monday by Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

The Farmingdale environmental advocacy group graded plants from Long Beach to Riverhead on permit violations, energy efficiency, and whether they notify the public when untreated or excessive amounts of sewage are released. None do, although Nassau recently started an opt-in program where residents who sign up in advance will be notified when sewage releases occur at county plants.

"Untreated or partially treated sewage carries a dangerous cargo of infectious bacteria, viruses, parasites and toxic chemicals," said the group's Maureen Dolan Murphy. "When it ends up in our waters, the public is at risk."

Huntington Town's plant got the highest grade: an A+, with the fewest overall violations and extra points awarded for measures like conserving power by swapping out inefficient lightbulbs.

Suffolk's largest plant, the Bergen Point facility, got a B+. Bay Park, Nassau's second-largest plant, earned a D.

The rankings were based on state environmental data from 2005 through 2010, and questionnaires on operations and procedures at the 10 facilities. The plants were selected from roughly 200 Islandwide as a representative sample of local sewage infrastructure.

Despite having the most combined violations of any plant, Nassau's Cedar Creek facility got a C grade. Its rank was buoyed in part by efforts to control stormwater with "green infrastructure" such as artificial wetlands and permeable pavement that soaks up runoff.

The report card called for more federal funding to repair aging plants and pipes, and said all facilities needed to phase out the use of chlorine to disinfect sewage. Also evaluated: whether plants removed nitrogen from effluent.

Nitrogen in wastewater discharged into bays and harbors can trigger harmful algae blooms that, when they die, use oxygen that fish need to survive.

Such pollution is a particular concern in the Western Bays along Nassau's South Shore. Bay Park and other local plants discharge an estimated 55 million gallons of treated sewage each day to Reynolds Channel, north of Long Beach. Environmental advocates blame the volume of effluent there for excessive seaweed growth and declines in shellfish and finfish.

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano attributed most of the Bay Park violations to neglect by the previous administration and said upgrades had fixed a number of problems.

"Since taking office in 2010, my administration has invested tens of millions of dollars in preventative [sic] maintenance and repairs," Mangano said. He said the report underscored the need to privatize Nassau's plants, which he said would improve performance.

Bay Park had company at the bottom of the rankings. Facilities in Long Beach and Stony Brook also earned D's.

Suffolk officials said the report incorrectly attributed violations from a separate heating and cooling plant at Stony Brook University to the county's sewage facility there. Spokesman Mark Smith said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy was working with groups such as Citizens Campaign to develop ways to pay for sewer construction and upgrades.

THE REPORT CARD

Points were awarded based on the criteria including the number of violations, level of sewage treatment, upgrade needs, energy efficiency.

Huntington

Grade: A+

Score: 97

Bergen Point

Grade: B+

Score: 86

Patchogue

Grade: B

Score: 84

Riverhead

Grade: 81

Score: B

Glen Cove

Grade: C+

Score: 79

Cedar Creek

Grade: C

Score: 73

Port Jefferson

Grade: C

Score: 71

Stony Brook

Grade: D

Score: 67

Long Beach

Grade: D

Score: 66

Bay Park

Grade: D

Score: 66

Source: Citizens Campaign for the Environment