One of the largest infrastructure projects in Suffolk County history is set to break ground this week. It’s a miles-long underground pipe that will go beneath the Great South Bay and connect a wastewater facility to the Jones Beach barrier island.
The $187 million project will replace a 40-year-old outfall pipe that sends treated wastewater into the Atlantic Ocean.
This project is part of a larger overhaul as more homes and businesses are connected to the sewer system.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone says this is a way to protect Long Island’s aquifer.
“These new sewer connections will significantly reduce the amount of nitrogen that is leaking into our waterways.”
The construction on the outfall pipe is expected to take 12 months. Precautions have been taken to limit the environmental impact.
