Expect cesspool costs to skyrocket beginning 2017 (New York, Nassau: 2013, selling a house, buyers) - Long Island - (NY) - City-Data Forum

GMS99 · 03-11-2015, 01:27 PM

I've mentioned this before, but it seems that legislators are quickly putting this in place:

S7804-2013 - NY Senate Open Legislation - Establishes the Long Island water quality control act and the Long Island commission on aquifer protection - New York State Senate

If legislators have their way, every homeowner will be required to spend tens of thousands of dollars on new cesspool systems on Long Island for all new construction, "re-construction", or whenever existing systems needed to be repaired starting Jan 2017! Yes, you will be required to install a new system for de-nitrification whenever you need to repair your existing system after that date. I can't imagine the shock people are going to have when they expect a hundred(s) dollar cesspool repair and will get handed a tens of thousands dollar repair and upgrade bill.

Keep in mind, if this is enacted then anyone selling a house after 2016 will need to install a new system before buyers will take a look at your property. No buyer will want to take on this responsibility or they will offer a discount to fair market price to compensate for the risk. This is what happened in Mass when similar laws were put into place.

To put this in perspective, the cost to upgrade all the cesspools in Suffolk county alone is over FOUR BILLION DOLLARS.

suzook · 03-11-2015, 01:54 PM

Well the f'n town should install sewers. You would think we live in the boondocks.

GMS99 · 03-11-2015, 02:05 PM

Sewers aren't free either. Expect those to add another thousand dollars or so a year in taxes/fees. In the end, it's pay now or later (over time).

What really irks me is that Nassau has sewers and doesn't repair them, causing just as much pollution as the existing cesspools in Suffolk. Plus, add sewers in Suffolk and the building density will go up multi- fold as developers seize that opportunity. In the end, it's just another big cost added on the highest living costs in the nation. No wonder young people move away.

veryangry · 03-11-2015, 02:09 PM

How often do people repair cesspools? Don't think its all that common occurance.

kayo_michael · 03-11-2015, 02:41 PM

Thanks god the village I live in is expanding the sewer grid.

S.I.B. · 03-11-2015, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayo_michael

Thanks god the village I live in is expanding the sewer grid.

will you have to pay to connect?

ocngypz · 03-11-2015, 03:40 PM

Some homes have old cesspools... some homes have septic systems...........and then there are sewers.

Many states have totally outlawed cesspools.........as they are huge contributors to water pollution. MA has Title V septic laws.........selling a house? You can't sell it if the home doesn't pass Title V septic inspections.

Sewer systems on LI? Okay.. where do you put the sewage treatment plant? Another NIMBY.

ovi8 · 03-11-2015, 03:57 PM

Suffolk is HUGE... sewers throughout will be a miracle but for your sake I hope it comes true.

AndreaII · 03-11-2015, 05:26 PM

1. The proposed bill will be targeting "priority areas" for denitrification but doesn't say where those areas are. This means that not all homeowners will be required to do anything immediately following January 2017.

2. Small repairs will be allowed without having to upgrade for denitrification.

So, don't hit the panic button at this point in time. Let's see how this plays out in reality regarding both a timeline and the true cost.

ocngypz · 03-11-2015, 07:04 PM

Priority areas will be closer to bodies of water (fresh and salt) as well as those near wellheads.

And you just can't "quick-fix" an old system. It doesn't work.

I've gone through this craziness three times already.......and now I'm on sewer!!!!!! not without issues though..........and then are the quarterly bills......