East Hampton residents that need or want to update their septic systems can leverage the septic rebate plan under the Town’s Water Quality Improvement Plan. The program helps reduce the impact of old cesspools and traditional leach field systems that are leading to nitrogen pollution in aquifers and surface waters.
Homeowners can apply for a septic rebate to help recuperate some or all of the costs of upgrading their East Hampton septic systems.
Why the Septic Program is in Place
East Hampton has more than 19,400 parcels that are developed. Many of these parcels contain old septic systems, cesspools, and traditional leach systems that treat wastewater from the property.
Unfortunately, the systems didn’t account for the high nitrogen levels that are impacting the area’s water sources.
The Community Preservation Fund (CPF) provides funding for projects that aim to:
- Upgrade sanitary systems
- Put low-nitrogen sanitary systems in place
East Hampton benefits from the fund, offering $4.6 million annually to go towards water improvement projects. Over the lifespan of CPF, it’s expected that $152 million will be accessible for water improvement projects.
The program is available to homeowners and businesses that want to install low-nitrogen sanitary systems, which reduce nitrogen to less than 19 mg or less per liter.
Low-nitrogen systems with the ability to reduce levels to 10 mg or less per liter are being targeted.
How Much are East Hampton’s Septic Rebates?
East Hampton residents who want to improve their septic systems also benefit from grants on both the County and State levels. The grants can be used for:
- Purchase of I/A OWTS systems (approved models)
- Installation of approved systems
Grants can’t be used for irrigation repair, electrical system improvements, engineering costs or other costs not directly related to septic upgrades and/or installation.
In total, rebates and grants offer up to $46,000 to install these new systems.
Septic Rebates for East Hampton Residents
Residents that earn less than $500,000 annually may receive rebates for upgrading their sanitary systems. There are two primary rebates offered depending on your home’s location:
- $16,000 if you either qualify for affordable housing or the parcel is in the Water Protection District
- $10,000 if your property doesn’t meet the requirements in the previous point
Residential and business owners can apply for the rebate. New construction projects are not able to receive a rebate.
County and State Programs
In addition to East Hampton rebates, up to $30,000 is available via other programs throughout New York State. These include:
- $10,000 from the New York State Septic Replacement Fund
- Up to $20,000 under Suffolk County’s Septic Improvement Program, broken down into the following:
- $10,000 for low-nitrogen septic system upgrades
- $5,000 for shallow drain fields
- $5,000 in income-based incentives
East Hampton’s septic rebate program is an opportunity to upgrade older septic systems with models that remove or lower nitrogen content that ends up negatively impacting local water sources.
The rebates aren’t the only program that you may be able to use. Financing options may be available to homeowners, with fixed rates as low as 3% on loans up to $10,000.
At Bridgewater Environmental, we specialize in working with our customers to ensure you get the maximum available grant and rebate on your septic system upgrade.
Schedule a free consultation to learn what grants and rebates you qualify for and learn more about the process of upgrading your septic system.
