July 2, 2011 By Jennifer Smith
Zach’s Bay, at Jones Beach State Park, received a low rating on water quality. (July 29, 2009) (Credit: Joel Cairo, 2009)
Beach season is upon Long Island, but delays continue to dog a $1.94-million plan to reroute sewage from Jones Beach State Park away from the bays behind the popular destination.
The project, scheduled to be completed in June, is designed to send treated effluent from the park’s sewage plant — which now discharges into Sloop Channel — out to the ocean. Work began in the fall, but delays and harsh weather have pushed the completion date to Dec. 31, parks officials said.
“Due to the harsh winter — the ground was frozen — and the fact that we had to do some redesigns, we are delayed,” said George Gorman, deputy regional director for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.2011
Workers are building a 2.5-mile pipeline along Wantagh and Ocean parkways to connect the park’s plant with the outfall pipe for Nassau County’s Cedar Creek treatment facility.
Discharging the treated sewage into the ocean will allow it to disperse more quickly and, advocates hope, improve water quality at the Zach’s Bay area of the park, above, which is popular with boaters and swimmers.
