Talk of Old Cesspools, Wells at M.C.A.C.

This article has been corrected from the version that originally appeared online and in print.

Pio Lombardo, an environmental engineer with the consulting firm of Lombardo Associates, visited the Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee on Monday to discuss upgrades within the hamlet to address water-quality problems.

Pollution at a small bathing beach in the southern part of Lake Montauk is caused by runoff from the Ditch Plain area, he told the committee. Also, he said, cesspools in the hamlet are treating more waste than they are equipped for. Many, despite frequent pumping, are failing and leaching into other locales.

Townwide, though, the consultant said the wastewater problem was not as bad as in some other places. Downtown Montauk and the harbor area produce the highest amounts of wastewater, he said, and the system that handles the waste from 27 houses at Camp Hero continues to be troublesome, however corrective measures are under way. Improper treatment of sewage is contributing to ground and surface water pollution.

The management issue is one that has been increasing with Montauk’s recent popularity and concomitant growth. Older cesspools are not maintained and have no oversight. “Suffolk County has been doing nothing for a long time,” said Mr. Lombardo, “but doing nothing is unacceptable and only delaying the problem.”

Upgrading private septic systems would be costly, he said. Grants to do the work are few and far between, though they often favor economic development. “Montauk’s got the sizzle right now,” he remarked, adding that aggressive lobbying might help obtain grant money.

Mr. Lombardo said the Town of East Hampton should establish a comprehensive wastewater management plan advisory committee that would study specific neighborhoods and work with him and officials on a plan to implement needed changes. “Site plans need to be looked at individually,” he said.

In other news, the committee learned from Town Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc that the old shrubbery in the Kirk Park parking lot that was considered a waste of space have been removed. New vegetation will be planted on the north side of the lot. When the project is complete, the lot will be able to accommodate 125 vehicles, including 6 in handicapped spaces.

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Correction: An earlier version of this article in print an online quoted Mr. Lombardo as saying that the active wells at the Montauk Fire Department substation on Second House Road and the Montauk Manor were problematic. This is not the case, according to Mr. Lombardo. The Montauk Manor has its own water supply and its own wastewater treatment system, both of which are fine. The Suffolk County Water Authority's water supply well next to the main Montauk Fire Department hase at times been problematic, he said, and the water authority has expressed interest in trading that well for a better location elsewhere in the town.