SHARE

Mamaroneck Letter: Don't Put Replacement Sewer Main Under Otter Creek

MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- The Mamaroneck Daily Voice accepts signed letters to the editor. Send letters to mamaroneck@dailyvoice.com.

To the editor:

It is great that Save the Sound is joining numerous others in supporting the replacement of Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club’s (MB&YC) aging sewer main and pump station in this Critical Environmental Area. This work is long overdue.

MB&YC is under an "Order to Remedy Violation" by the Village of Mamaroneck and has been told by both the Village and Westchester County Health Department to replace and upgrade the sanitary sewer main and pump station.

MB&YC has proposed their preferred option to be through New York State upland and under Otter Creek, a designated critical environmental area, and then through private property to reach the municipal sanitary sewer system.

One of the main issues is that the new line running beneath Otter Creek will, at some time, fail, once again polluting our waters and adversely affecting this fragile critical environmental area.

An examination of the recent leak revealed a broken rusty pipe, suggesting that the pipe had been leaking for some time. The immediate repair required digging up portions of Otter Creek’s intertidal zone, breaking the remaining pipe, putting in a short new section of pipe, and filling the area as well as disturbance of the adjacent private property to gain access.

It is inconceivable that anyone would want to potentially create a similar problem of long-term leaking into our waterways in the future.

There are alternatives, including running the sewer line on an existing bridge over Otter Creek similar to the existing gas and water utilities servicing the area.

In the event of a leak in a line over Otter Creek, it would be easily detected, could be quickly fixed with almost no disturbance to Otter Creek and would have significantly less potential damage or adverse effects to this critical environmental area.

We believe that everyone supports the required replacement sewer line and pump station as soon as possible, but we also need to make sure that it is done in a responsible and meaningful manner so as to protect the environment, be as compatible with the area as possible, and ensure proper safeguards are in place to detect potential future leakage or failure issues and allow for their immediate repair.

It is certainly true that the replacement sewer line and pump station need to be undertaken regardless of whether or not MB&YC’s proposed new development on the property is approved.

It also needs to be understood that many feel MB&YC’s proposed development would shatter the special protections provided by the Village’s Marine Recreation zoning and Local Waterfront Revitalization Program for this and similar waterfront sites in this one-of-a-kind waterfront community.

Daniel Natchez President Daniel S. Natchez and Associates, Inc.

to follow Daily Voice Mamaroneck and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE