New York State Department of Transportation’s Northport Harbor Highway Runoff Mitigation

The Northport Harbor Highway Runoff Mitigation project eliminated the potential of any source of known sanitary sewage from entering the drainage system maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation and discharging into shellfish-certified waters of Northport Bay on Long Island. The project also included replacing failing sediment basins with a new hydrodynamic storm water treatment device to enhance water quality in the bay. This improvement ensures cleaner tidal waters for primary contact recreation and support for healthy shellfish beds in Northport Bay. The $750,000 project preserved and repaired the existing 36-inch NYSDOT-owned drainage pipe using trenchless technology, avoiding excavation and major site disturbance. Open excavation on the steep slope would have required steel sheeting, forest clearing, and significant disruption to marina operations and the public. As a result, the public now benefits from cleaner tidal waters for recreation and healthy shell fishing beds in Northport Bay.