Bellone Unveils Plan For Clean Water Referendum In Suffolk County

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A controversial 'clean water' referendum is being floated in Suffolk County.

Supporters say paying into it now will save Long Island's most treasured natural resource, but some taxpayers have complained saying, "water and air should be free."

Suffolk County has 360,000 unsewered homes, more than the entire state of New Jersey. As CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported, that spells trouble.

Nitrogen pollution from septic systems and cesspools is rampant.

Oxygen starved fish and shellfish are dying. Eel grass and coastal marshes needed to buffer the coast from storm surges and erosion are suffocating.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone stood with a diverse group of 100 civic, business, and environmental supporters to announce plans for a clean water referendum on Monday.

"Let the people decide whether we are going to protect water quality in this region or not," he said.

All Suffolk residents served by the public water supply would pay a fee of 1 dollar per 1,000 gallons used, or about $73 per household.

"For every dollar invested by the homeowner, it generates a million dollars and that goes to the environment," Mark Herbst, Long Island Contractors Association said.

The money would go directly into a fund to connect homes to sewers, upgrade cesspools, and protect groundwater -- the sole source of drinking water for the county.

"We have studied this to death. Today we are taking actual steps, plans that will be implemented that will turn around the declining water quality," Richard Amper, Pine Barrens Society said.

The plan has its critics, among them is former Deputy County Executive Paul Sabatino.

"It's absolutely crazy. It's a gimmick to plug holes, and it's also really an abuse of the public trust," he said.

Others want clean water for future generations, but not on the backs of taxpayers.

"The government gets enough money other ways. Why do we have to pay for it," one resident said.

"I feel it's unfair. Unfortunately at this time a lot of people are going through some hardship," another added.

But officials called it an incentive to conserve.

"This is not a county wide sewer tax. This is a user fee. If you conserve water you pay less," Suffolk County Legislator (Sag Harbor) Bridget Fleming said.

Suffolk Officials are now working to get state legislation passed so the water quality protection fee will appear on November's ballot.

Currently Suffolk County says the average county homeowner's water bill is $183 a month, about a third less than the national average of $316.