Study Results Find Sewers Along Coast in Great Shape

A study organized by the Suffolk County Department of Public Works found, in early results, that many pipes along the southern-most area of the Southwest Sewer District were in relatively excellent shape.

The study, which included an area south of Montauk Highway (Route 27A) stretching from the Village of Amityville to West Islip and includes the Village of Brightwaters, found at least 70 percent of sewers within the study area were ranked as "very good," the top rating available by inspectors.

Officials said the study was conducted to look for possible causes of additional outflow, which includes "inflow and infiltration" from exterior sources getting into the sewage system. In most cases, officials noted, pressure within the pipes was lower than exterior pressure, forcing water and other ground-liquids into potential cracks in the pipes.

The study found less than one percent of all areas studied with the lowest "very poor" rating.

DPW officials said the study will continue as they try to organize ways to fix the most problematic and broken pipes, then award contracts to outside organizations to fix those in rough shape.

The study and construction on any pipes is expected to be completed by July 2015 at the latest.