Sewer Plant Contract on Islip Town Board Agenda

The Town of Islip Board will vote Tuesday on a resolution that would advance the creation of a municipal sewage treatment plant for the communities between Bayport and Oakdale.

The resolution requests authorization for a professional services contract with P.W. Grosser Consulting, a Bohemia firm, at a cost of $199,378 to conduct an engineering report but does not stipulate a plant location.

A Patch request for specifics from town officials, as well as a call to Assemblyman Andrew Garbarino, regarding the contract and proposed location of a sewage treatment plant was not immediately returned.

Garbarino discussed the development of a sewer district at a Bayport Civic Association meeting in late September. He said funding had been secured to conduct a planning study and potential sites were being evaluated.

If all goes as scheduled, he said, public comment on the project could happen next Spring and a required public vote could be held by the end of 2014.

“This is the furthest a sewer district project has ever gotten for our south shore,” he said at the Sept. 19 civic meeting, adding that it would be a benefit for local business downtown areas, residents and the water quality of the Great South Bay.

“This [a sewer district] allows you to do more with your property, and it helps chambers draw in more businesses and it raises property values,” he said, noting that current Suffolk County health department building regulations on current cesspool systems can be a huge hindrance to property owners and in enticing new business.

The low water table in the Oakdale-Sayville vicinity has put the communities on the top 10 list of potential sewer projects in the state, according to Garbarino, and the project is eligible for state funding and federal grants for the planning aspect. 

The sewer district proposal is a collaborative effort by state and Town of Islip officials, noted Garbarino.

“Some sites have been discussed,” he said, declining to elaborate, noting the study will examine those potential sites at length.

If built, residents and businesses have the option of joining the district and hooking up to the system, said Garbarino. 

Sewer district members would pay a fee for use, he added. How much that fee would be won’t be determined until the project scope and costs of the build are mapped out, he explained.

The town board is expected to vote on the engineer report agreement resolution at its meeting Tuesday at 2 p.m. at town hall.