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Source Of Glen Cove Beach Contamination Finally Found

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Sprawling estates dot the shores of Glen Cove, with stunning views of Long Island sound, but swimming in the water off shore is something local residents could not enjoy.

As CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reports, for nearly a decade Crescent Beach has been closed because of a mysterious source of pollution, but now the mystery has been solved.

"We now have photographs and pictures of points of discharge along that creek that actually show where the pollution and contamination is coming from," said Tim Tenke, a Glen Cove city councilman.

A report commissioned by Nassau County finds high bacteria and nitrogen flowing from four illicit pipes discharging raw sewage into a creek that feeds directly into the sound.

The presumed source of the sewage comes from three or four nearby estates.

"They don't want to put in new cesspools, and this is cheap easy fix," said Bruce Kennedy, Sea Cliff village administrator. "You just pump it some where else.. This is raw sewage, you flush your toilet and it goes to the beach."

For years officials speculated that many unsewered homes were to blame, as much of Long Island's hilly northshore was never hooked up to municipal sewers. While aging pipes and cesspools leak, hooking up to sewers would cost tens of millions of dollars.

The fix for each of these newly discovered pipes costs a tiny fraction of that amount.

"Were these home owners aware of it, do they know about it, were they notificiated?" said Nassau County legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton. "They can fix this for a $20,000 cost."

Glen Cove city officials say its possible homeowners don't know they are polluting. Lawmakers are calling for an immediate fix.

"If we can fix this problem and those levels come down, this beach could be open by summer," said DeRiggi-Whitton.

The findings will be reported to the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Health Department for follow up and possible penalties.

Officials in Glen Cove are now encouraging other other communities that have constant mysterious beach closures to keep an eye open for similar problems.

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