Water

• Resources

  Peconic Estuary Partnership

  Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) - NYDEC

  Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection

  Long Island Sound Study

  National Wetlands Mapper

  USGS Depth to Groundwater and Hydrologic Conditions Viewer

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  PROTECT

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  CONSERVE

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  REGENERATE

Protect Water from Contamination

Water is the very sustenance of life and a symbol of purification. But local water quality is degrading. Our ground and surface waters need protection. A combination of porous soils and shallow aquifers means our aquifers are vulnerable to contamination. High levels of nitrogen, contaminants of emerging concern (such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products), and PFOS/PFAS chemicals degrade the quality of our drinking water. Our aquifers are not only sources of drinking water, but flow horizontally to surface waters, impacting the marine health of our bays. Excess nitrogen compounds are a critical cause of algal blooms, which lower oxygen levels, create toxins, ultimately cause shellfish and fish kills, and decrease biodiversity throughout the whole ecosystem. Poor water quality will ultimately impact community character and vitality, which are especially relevant for our coastal and tourist economies.

Conserve Our Aquifers and Estuaries

Residents on the North Fork tend to use more water than the national average. All the water used, whether from private wells or public water supplies is pumped from underground aquifers that are fed by rain and snow melt. On the North Fork we are particularly vulnerable as we only have isolated, thin aquifers surrounded by saltwater. We tend to pump most in the dry months of summer, which both shrinks the aquifers and may cause saltwater intrusion, contaminating freshwater sources.

Regenerate Our Streams, Rivers, Bays, Sound, Ocean and Aquifer

Capturing rainwater does more than stop the contaminants from washing into surface waters. The water can recharge the aquifer, be diverted from a downspout to a rain garden, or retained in rain barrels or cisterns for future use.

You can help! Here are some actions that you can take:

• Apply for Suffolk County Department of Health Services/NYS grants to upgrade your onsite wastewater system. For more information and application, click here.
  
  Note: If you have block cesspools, this is considered a safety hazard, and your project may be fast tracked with the help of a certified installer.

• Promote the installation of pilot demonstration projects.

Here are some helpful resources:

• Suffolk County Septic Improvement Program

• Testing of I/A OWTS at the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center

• Nonproprietary systems:

  • Onsite Wastewater Treatment | Center for Clean Water Technology (stonybrook.edu)

You can help! Here are some actions that you can take:

• Leave at least 3 inches of grass when moving and reduce irrigation for stronger roots.

• Raise your mower blade deck as high as possible

• Swap in a mulching mower blade and let the clippings fall and become mulch

• Don’t apply fertilizers and other chemicals when rain is forecast.

• Use of fertilizer is banned in Suffolk County between November 1 and April 1.

• Protect yourself from insects rather than spraying lawns with insecticide.

• Look for USDA certified organic products to help manage pest issues.

Here are some helpful resources:

• Healthy Lawns, Clean Water (suffolkcountyny.gov)

• Recommendations for Fertilizer Nitrogen Applications on Residential and Commercial Turfgrass (ny.gov)

• Stuny Brook University - Center for Clean Water Technology

You can help! Here are some actions that you can take:

• Choose cleansers that are certified by Green Seal or Ecologo, free of fragrance and ammonium compounds.

• Avoid use of “forever” chemicals, such as Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), which can cause serious health effects.

• Avoid fabrics with stain/waterproof repellent coatings, such as Teflon, Scotchgard, Stainmaster, Polartec, or Gore-Tex will likely contain PFAS chemicals. They are found on pan coatings, fast-food wrappers, pizza boxes, some watch bands and even Oral-B glide floss.

• Choose personal care products without “PTFE” or “FLUORO” Ingredients.

• Check “performance” fabric specifications when purchasing furniture.

• Dispose of products responsibly, never pour them into a toilet, sink, or street drain. Instead:

  • Bring pharmaceuticals to the Police Department or a participating pharmacy.

  • Check Stop Throwing Out Pollutants (S.T.O.P.) locations or your local transfer stations for “Hazardous Waste Days” where they accept cleaners, oils, paint thinners, etc.

  • Pick up pet waste which can be composted in a separate composting bin than your food scraps.

Here are some useful resources:

Lists of recommended cleaning products:

• Environmental Working Group’s guide to safer cleaners

• EPA’s list of products that meet the Safer Choice Standard

• The Spruce’s list of best septic safe household cleaning products

You can help! Here are some actions that you can take:

Outdoors:

• Water used for lawn irrigation is our biggest challenge. The best ACTION is to maximize the use of native plants, minimize the size of lawns, and only irrigate for the establishment of vegetation. If irrigating, zone it for like needs and use smart meters.

• Only water 1-2 times a week (maximum 1” of rain).

• When using a hose use a nozzle that automatically stops the flow when not used.

• Swimming pools can double a household’s water use. Use covers when not in use to stop evaporation.

Indoors:

• Use EPA WaterSense fixtures, which can lower your indoor water use by at least 20%.

• You can also conserve water by altering everyday habits, such as timing your shower to a maximum of 5 minutes or turning off the tap when brushing your teeth or shaving.

Here are some useful resources:

• Help Conserve Water in the North Folk

• Our Water Our Lives

You can help! Here are some actions that you can take:

• Install rain barrels or in ground cisterns. Check with the Peconic Estuary Program to see if you are eligible for a rebate.

• Install a rain garden of native plants, this purifies water as well as creates a beautiful habitat.  An excellent example of a rain garden using native plants has been installed at the North Fork Audubon Society, Roy Latham Nature Center at 65275 County Road 48 in Greenport.

• Check the Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County for recommended plants and placement.

• Volunteer with, or buy native plants from the Long Island Native Plant Initiative.

• Manage invasive species. For more information visit Long Island Invasive Species Management.

• Support generative industries that help clean our waters, while creating new localized businesses:

  • Kelp farming pulls nitrogen from the bays, requires no chemical inputs, and slows ocean acidification, working well with oyster farms. Once harvested, reuse as multiple products, including fertilizers will help the local economy.

  • Bivalves have long been known as filters, with one adult oyster capable of filtering hundreds of liters of seawater a day. The extraction/use of both kelp and bivalves also helps sequester carbon.

• Support existing local efforts:

  • Shinnecock Kelp Farmers

  • Lazy Point Farms

  • Stony Brook University - Research: Bioextraction

  • Stony Brook University - Research: Kelp Mitigates Ocean Acidification, a Key to the Health and Abundance of Important Shellfish

  • The New York Times - Sugar Kelp Farming

Here are some useful resources:

• Peconic Estuary Program

• Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County for recommended plants and placement

• Long Island Native Plant Initiative.

• Long Island Invasive Species Management.

• Shinnecock Kelp Farmers

• Lazy Point Farms

• Stony Brook University - Research: Bioextraction

• Stony Brook University - Research: Kelp Mitigates Ocean Acidification, a Key to the Health and Abundance of Important Shellfish

• The New York Times - Sugar Kelp Farming