Moving Effluent Offshore for Greater Nitrogen Reduction

A series of projects in Nassau County, NY will re-route effluent from the impaired waters of the Western Bays to the County’s open ocean outfall 12 miles away where it will be carried three miles offshore to be safely dispersed into the open ocean.

Excess nitrogen has long led to impaired water quality in the Western Bays of Long Island. The elimination of septic systems and centralization of wastewater treatment have led to some reductions in nitrogen loading, but two main sources remain: the effluent outfalls for the wastewater treatment plants in the communities of Long Beach and Bay Park.

The Long Beach Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) outfall will be eliminated and the plant decommissioned as part of the Long Beach Consolidation Project. This project with convert the existing influent pump station into a transfer pump station and install a 15,000 foot force main to send all Long Beach influent to the South Shore WRF for more advanced treatment. The South Shore WRF outfall will be limited to wet weather discharge after the completion of the Bay Park Conveyance Project, which is installing a pump station and force main to transmit all of the South Shore dry weather flow to the open ocean outfall pipe south of the Cedar Creek WPCP facility in Wantagh, NY. A third project, currently in the planning stage, is to provide a wastewater collection system for the community of Point Lookout, adjacent to Long Beach, NY. It is one of last waterfront communities relying on septic systems, which contribute to excess nitrogen in the Bays.

Hazen (in joint venture with Arcadis) is the Program Manager for these projects and also the design engineer for the Long Beach Consolidation Project.