Nassau County Officials: Improvements Taking Place at Cedar Creek Plant

The Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant in Wantagh has continued to see improvements this year, according to Nassau County officials.

“The plant itself has made a tremendous turnaround,” said Richard Millet, Nassau County Deputy Commissioner of Public Works at the March 29 (WSHA) meeting. “The health of the plant is in the positive, correct direction.”

Last year the county brought in Mark Wagner from Woodbury-based Cameron Engineering as a consultant to the Wantagh plant, which is located next to Cedar Creek Park in Seaford. Millet explained that under Wagner’s guidance all bar screens at the plant and two of the three grip tanks at the facility are operating.

“His team at Cameron has made tremendous strides,” said Millet, who pointed out that prior to taking over his current role at the Nassau County Department of Public Works on July 29 only one bar screen was operating with no grip tanks were in operation.

A year ago Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano announced that he would deliver $10 million in new equipment to the Cedar Creek Sewage Treatment Plant to begin to repair what he described as a "neglected" facility. These planned improvements included two new belt filter presses, which remove sludge from the wastewater, and an update to the plant's odor control system. Millet said during the March 29 WSHA meeting there are currently designs for new bar screens, and grip tanks at the plant.

“There is a lot of capital work coming forward with Cedar Creek,” said Millet.

Some residents at the WSHA meeting expressed concerns about the smell that often resonates from the plant in certain Wantagh and Seaford neighborhoods. Millet emphasized that the smell is not toxic and the capital improvements taking place should improve odor conditions.

Philip Franco, who chairs the Cedar Creek Health Risk Assessment Committee of the WSHA, lauded Millet and the Mangano administration for the commitment they have made to enhancing the plant.  At a Nassau County legislature  in December, Franco said that out of 20,000 hours of scheduled maintenance in the previous administration, only a few hundred were done.

Cedar Creek was previously issued with safety violations from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation including going over its discharge limit three times in 2007 and twice in 2009. County officials have estimated that the Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant will be state-of-the art in approximately five years.