On November 20, 2022, Corinne Kaufman’s beautiful granddaughter Paige Gibbons passed away from an accidental fentanyl overdose just four days after her 19th birthday. Kaufman channeled her grief by launching “Families Against Fentanyl,” which advocates for getting Narcan kits in every middle and high school nurse’s office and making fentanyl test strips readily available.

The Nassau County Legislature has allocated $1.55 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding toward efforts by water suppliers to remove emerging contaminants and toxins from our drinking water. This funding will be drawn from $6 million in federal funding already dedicated to support an array of water quality initiatives, and each eligible public and private water supplier will receive a $50,000 grant in support of their efforts.

In pursuit of these priorities, water districts can apply the funding toward conducting studies; planning and design remediation initiatives; purchasing equipment, materials, and supplies; developing operations manuals, guidelines, and materials; maintaining removal systems that are already online; and defraying the cost of lab testing. The Nassau County Department of Public Works will oversee the administration and implementation of these projects.

These funds will equip water districts to continue their efforts to combat emerging contaminants such as 1, 4-Dioxane and PFOs/PFOAs (perfluorooctanoic acid), which have been found in the aquifers that provide Long Island with all of its drinking water.

Contact your local water district to learn more about these ongoing efforts to preserve and protect our drinking water.

Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton spearheaded Legislative approval of an intermunicipal agreement (IMA) that will deliver $1.725 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to make it more affordable for Sea Cliff property owners to connect to the Village’s newly expanded sanitary sewer system.

The County will use the funding to provide up to $7,500 to each of the 230 residential and commercial property owners who can now connect to the sewer system. This federal funding is in addition to approximately $3 million in state grants and approximately $1 million in village resources that were invested in the sewer expansion.

Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton is gratified that the County has agreed to invest a significant amount of ARPA funds in a program that will help property owners pay for improvements that will deliver tremendous environmental, economic, and quality of life benefits.

An additional $2 million in New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) funding was approved to help residents and small business owners upgrade and modernize their septic systems.

“I encourage every property owner with a traditional septic system to take advantage of this opportunity while funds are still available.”
– Leg. DeRiggi-Whitton

Nassau homeowners and small businesses that discharge less than 1,000 gallons a day of wastewater are eligible to receive up to $20,000 in grants toward the installation of nitrogen-reducing septic systems through Nassau County’s S.E.P.T.I.C. (Septic Environmental Program to Improve Cleanliness) program.
The initiative is funded by NYS EFC resources and matching funds from the County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allotment. To date, Nassau County has allocated more than $7 million in ARPA funds toward this environmental initiative.

Call 516-364-5861 or visit https://www.nassauswcd.org/SEPTIC to learn if you are eligible for a S.E.P.T.I.C. program grant.