The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 7 No. 3

Authors

John Tanacredi Ph.D., Molloy CollegeFollow

Document Type

Newsletter

Publication Date

Fall 2021

Abstract

Where has all the pollution gone? No hazardous toxic algal blooms? Incredible summer estuarine water quality! No fish kills. Banner years in recreational fisheries for Stripers and Blues and incredible numbers of Humpback whales! No going to restaurants, so greater at home use of water and septic systems! Since March 2020, drier years than most, thus reducing runoff with fertilizers and organic pesticides, resulting in reduced water contamination. So maybe, just maybe, this COVID- 19 period which has altered our collective lives forever, has also resulted in a grand experiment on what has been hiding in plain sight? That is, the attainability of all our water quality issues and concerns in Suffolk County being blamed totally on the “evil nitrogen” from 360,000 household septic systems, is ultimately misaligned with the facts and actual observations. Unfortunately, it has taken a pandemic to bring to light the misdirected hyper attention to the replacement of the time-tested effectiveness of septic waste treatment and wastewater engineering science. With an overzealous and totally overstated impact from these homeowners every function convincing some unfortunate homeowners to instead of maintaining their personal gravity driven septic systems at insignificant annual cost, to replace their “old systems” with an expensive “advanced technology” system: one which has moving parts requiring added long-term maintenance, and always vulnerable to power outages

Related Pillar(s)

Study, Community

Recommended Citation

Tanacredi, John Ph.D., "The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 7 No. 3" (2021). The Coastal Monitor. 9.
https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/cercomnews/9