FEMA earmarks $40M for proposed Oakdale sewer upgrade project

Suffolk County will receive nearly $40 million from the federal government toward a sewer expansion project that would benefit several hundred homes in an Oakdale neighborhood along the Connetquot River, officials announced Tuesday.

The Oakdale Sewer Expansion Project would allow homes to connect to Suffolk County’s Bergen Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in West Babylon, eliminating outdated cesspools currently in use, officials said.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Newsday the Federal Emergency Management Agency had approved a $39.58 million hazard mitigation grant toward the project, covering 90% of the estimated $43.9 million cost. Deputy County Executive Jennifer Juengst said other grant sources will cover the balance.

The expansion would allow a flow of 160,852 gallons of wastewater per day to the county plant, according to a FEMA document found on the agency’s website. It would include the installation of 35,750 feet of low-pressure sewer mains and other equipment to connect each individual home. The project also calls for connecting the new system to an existing sewer stub near Heckscher State Parkway.

The project requires a referendum vote to advance, giving residents a chance to vote on it before it proceeds, according to the county, similar to an effort in nearby Great River that voters rejected in 2019. After that project failed, the focus for sewer connections shifted to Oakdale, according to FEMA.

That vote could happen by the end of 2025, Juengst said. The Suffolk County Department of Public Works will go out to bid on the project once the money is set, she said. Juengst said construction of the project could be completed by the end of 2028. A single-family household would be charged about $700 for annual sewer tax, she said.

"There is no project more critical to the public health, quality of life, economy and the environment in Suffolk than the modernization of water-sewer systems and replacement of septics," Schumer said in a statement.

The federal money is sent to New York State and then "earmarked for Suffolk" only, according to a spokesperson for Schumer.

David Chan, president of the Oakdale Civic Association, said the hamlet’s project dates back years and there have been a "lot of people" in support of it, although some residents are wary of future costs since they would be subject to an annual sewer tax. He said he frequently fields inquiries from residents seeking information.

He said one concern residents have raised is whether there would be reimbursement for trees and shrubbery dug up during the process.

In Great River, the proposed sewer expansion would have left residents subject to a new sewer tax rate of $755 for the project annually, Newsday reported at the time. Residents in Mastic and Babylon approved two sewer projects at the same time, both of which came with lower annual sewer tax figures.

The Oakdale Civic Association meets in early March and Chan said he was hopeful county officials could provide more information on next steps.

In November, Suffolk voters approved a new eighth-of-a-percent sales tax to fund modernized sewers and septic tanks, part of an ongoing effort to improve the region's water quality.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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