Shelter Island Reporter Letter to the Editor, Jan. 5, 2023

Questions to answer

To the Editor:

It was disappointing to learn of the Town Board’s plans for wastewater treatment that have disregarded best practices.

Normally, the first step in this process is to address land use planning prior to wastewater planning, especially when there are unresolved concerns about growth and community character.

This is clearly the case for Town buildings, and the Center, which are urgently in need of redevelopment with many vacant and neglected properties.

The second step would be to work with regulatory officials from the beginning. This avoids wasting time and money on the design of a system that fails to meet regulatory requirements.

While the Nitrex system selected is approved for use by Suffolk County, it is not approved for locations without community water, which is the case in the Center.

The third step would be to provide for genuine public participation in the planning process by asking a cross section of the population for input, opinions and potential solutions.

Have our consultants attended carefully to the values of our community?

Did their initial study provide open minded consideration of alternative systems?

The fourth step would be to define and measure the problem being addressed to accurately determine the impact and risks of the proposed solution. The differences between a managed off-site system and independent onsite systems must be considered before rushing into a managed centralized plant.

Was it determined whether onsite systems’ problems were avoidable? In the case of the problems identified with IA systems, the issue was their proximity to existing wells and future expansion limitations.

Could this have been simply addressed and safe water provided with the introduction of a small remote community well system?

Consideration for centralized system outfalls has been given to Klenawicus Airfield and Manwaring Road, both sensitive environments and valuable sites. Where next?

I/A systems with a small community water system provide advanced sewer treatment without impacting other areas of the Island, provide clean water, and lowest cost of operation.

MICHAEL SHATKEN, Shelter Island