Bellone Announces Proposed Water Quality Project for East Hampton Village
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced that he has introduced legislation to support an approximately $92,000 water quality protection project that will protect Hook Pond from stormwater runoff and enhance water quality in the region. The project would be a partnership between Suffolk County and the Village of East Hampton and will require an intermunicipal agreement to move forward.
“Working with the Village of East Hampton on this water quality project is another step to reclaiming our water not only in the village, but in the surrounding communities,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “Stormwater runoff is a leading culprit to the impaired water quality in the vicinity of Hook Pond, and we must continue to be proactive in order to better control the runoff and ultimately protect our environment.”
“We applaud the partnership of Suffolk County under the leadership of County Executive Steve Bellone and the County Legislature in the implementation of our Hook Pond Water Quality Improvement Project – specifically the introduction of legislation at the County level with the potential of protecting Hook Pond from stormwater runoff which will enhance water quality within that water body,” said Village of East Hampton Mayor Paul Rickenbach.
“When it rains pollutants from roads and lawn chemicals find their way into storm drains which lead into Hook Pond,” said Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman. “This important project uses natural processes to remove containments before entering Hook Pond.”
Water quality in Hook Pond has been degraded because the Village Green lawn area receives extensive stormwater runoff from numerous roads, including State Route 27, State Route 114 and the Main Street areas. The runoff from the Village Green overflows into Town Pond—which is connected by a culver to a feeder stream of Hook Pond.
In order to protect water quality in Hook Pond, the project would excavate nearly a quarter of an acre of land at Village Green to a depth of 12-18 inches and be replanted with turf grass in order to create micropools during wet and inclement weather.
The project would comply with all regulations, and will be designed with the guidance of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Stormwater Management Manual.
Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning and Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman previously requested funding for a project that will allow the Village of East Hampton to accomplish stormwater remediation in the Hook Pond watershed.
In addition, the Village of East Hampton adopted a resolution at a recent board meeting to accept a potential grant from Suffolk County and to enter an intermunicipal agreement. The project will be paid for utilizing more than $46,000 from the 477 Water Quality Protection Fund. The village would provide matching funds.
This project is the latest part of the Reclaim Our Water initiative, which includes the securing of nearly $400 million in funding for the largest expansion of sewers in Suffolk County since the 1970s, and the release of the 2015 Suffolk County Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan that provides critical recommendations on how to manage and protect the region’s water supply.