EPA: I/A systems need more study

Do Shelter Island officials know more about innovative/alternative (I/A) septic systems than the federal Environment Protection Agency?

That’s a question real estate professional Angelo Piccozzi raised at a Town Board public hearing on a proposed amendment to Shelter Island’s Code that would require installation of an I/A system on properties — with some exemptions — when they are transferred to new owners.

He emphasized that he’s not opposed to I/A systems, but doesn’t think the Town should enact legislation to require installation.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said I/A systems show promise, but have only been subject to limited installations and more testing is necessary to determine their effectiveness. “Enhanced I/A septic system designs have shown promise for removing much of the nitrogen in wastewater before it enters surrounding groundwater, estuaries and ponds, but only a limited number have been field-tested,” according to an EPA document dated June 12, 2024.

There is no evidence I/A systems improve drinking water, the EPA report said.

The EPA is working with Barnstable, Mass. officials on Cape Cod to gather more information by installing the systems on a number of properties to judge the effectiveness and whether the desired aims might be achieved at a lot less expense.

Electric pumps that must run 24 hours a day for an I/A system would cost $1,800 a year based on PSEG LI rates. Add another $400 for an annual service contract and some might need to have a system installed to improve the effectiveness of the I/A systems, Mr. Piccozzi said.

There are grants available for water filtration systems without the initial cost of an estimated $30,000 to install an I/A system.

Mr. Piccozzi wasn’t alone in his views. Letters came from some asking for further examination of the proposed legislation and others spoke in person. Resident Pam Demarest said in a letter and at the meeting via Zoom that the legislation is discriminatory, fails to keep within the Suffolk County Sanitary Code, and would expose the Town to legal actions if enacted.

She further pointed out the proposal fails to deal with businesses, especially hotels and restaurants that, she said, would be likely to be among major contributors to pollution, but would not be covered under the legislation.

The Town lacks a process to ensure proper maintenance of the systems and no means to manage installations if it had 1,000 systems installed, Ms. Demarest said.

Residents Sandra O’Connor and Kim Noland had mixed reactions. Ms. O’Connor said there could be low-cost loans available to help fund installation and related costs. But she cited the draft legislation as an example that would have benefited from public input and more research before being scheduled for a public hearing. That’s in line with many complaints voiced at Town Board work sessions restricting public comments on matters headed for public hearings.

Ms. Noland, president of the Shelter Island Association (SIA) representing many neighborhood groups, has mixed feelings about the proposal. On the one hand,she said she’s pleased to see the issue being addressed, but agreed with Ms. Demarest that as written, the draft could result in legal actions because it is discriminatory. She, too, cited not including restaurants and hotels, noting she had just come from an SIA meeting at which members raised the need to widen the approach.

“This really does need more study,” Ms. Noland told the Town Board.

Elizabeth Nordin raised another issue that has affected her efforts to gain a permit allowing installation of an I/A system. Her current septic system was installed in 1959 and she wants to update to an I/A system, but finds she is being shuttled back and forth between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Suffolk County Department of Health, with no one willing to help her find a way to meet permit requirements.

There were comments about the effect the legislation could have on real estate deals with buyers demanding cuts in the sale prices to cover costs related to legislation, since the Town grants aren’t available to those mandated to install the I/A systems. There was even a suggestion that a potential buyer might back off from a deal because of the mandate to come up with money for an I/A system.

Councilman Albert Dickson, who has been a strong advocate of more I/A septic systems, agreed with those who called for commercial operations to be included in any legislation.

It’s back to the drawing board for further discussions at Town Board work sessions, and a public hearing on Sept. 16.