New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed on Thursday the Suffolk Water Quality Restoration Act, allowing a referendum to be added to the ballot this November.
The ballot question will ask voters to approve an eighth of a percent sales tax to help Suffolk County fund updates to town and village wastewater systems, including additional sewers and nitrogen-filtering septic systems.
“The 75% of Suffolk County homeowners who go without sewers are going to be delighted with this. So we’re going to empower the elected officials here in Suffolk County to be able to safeguard their water,” Hochul said. “It’s just a basic responsibility of government, but they need the mechanism to do it.”
The legislation is an effort to reduce pollution and environmental damage caused by nitrogen pollution, which can trigger algae blooms and fish kills.
“If we don't manage our water here and keep it clean and make sure it's accessible and deal with this now, future generations will say why were they so negligent? Why didn’t they care enough to do something?” Hochul said. “Well, we have leadership here today that cares.”
