Americana Manhasset may hook up to the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District’s wastewater management system, said representatives of Castagna Realty, which owns the property.
The project would involve the installation of piping under the paved southern shoulder of Northern Boulevard, a state road, said Castagna assistant vice president and director of project development Alexander Wong in a presentation to the Greater Council of Manhasset Civic Associations Wednesday.
Castagna Realty has not yet received a permit from the state Department of Transportation, which is required for construction on state roads, but it has been in communication with the department for nearly two years, Wong said.
“We are working with the applicant and expect to complete their permit once all the required paperwork has been submitted,” said New York State Department of Transportation spokesperson Stephen Canzoneri.
Castagna Realty is hoping to start the project around March, Wong said. Drilling would last about 40 workdays.
“The Americana Manhasset is currently on a septic system, which is an aging system, so we’re looking at alternatives,” Wong said. “Sewer these days is just a much better solution, a more viable solution not only in terms of cost but also for the environment’s sake.”
Americana Manhasset directs wastewater to about 63 cesspools, Wong said, which are underground water storage containers that have to be pumped once they fill to a certain capacity.
Leakage leads to nitrogen build-up in wells.
“[Sewers are] a more sustainable, environmentally responsible way of handling sewage,” said Castagna CEO Russell Matthews.
The Great Neck Water Pollution Control District has a 5.3 million gallon per day capacity, of which it currently only uses about 3 million, said district superintendent Chris Murphy.
Castagna’s sewer installations would hook up to an existing system near the IHOP less than a mile west on Northern Boulevard from the Americana shopping center.
Upon installation, the Great Next Water Pollution Control District would take over as the system’s owner, Murphy said.
Castagna Realty has not yet hired a contractor, Wong said.
He declined to say how much the project would cost Castagna Realty.
Drilling on Northern Boulevard would start parallel to the location of the Polo Ralph Lauren store in the shopping center. There would probably be eight to 10 pits, Wong said.
The shoulder would then be completely repaved, as the state Department of Transportation requires.
Castagna Realty would install a pump station underground in the eastern wing of Americana Manhasset’s parking lot. Above ground, it would look like a traffic island, Wong said.
With about 2 million gallons in excess capacity, the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District is frequently reaching out to parties throughout Manhasset about the opportunity to hook up to the district’s system.
The Great Neck Water Pollution Control District and the Manhasset-Lakeville Water District have jointly funded a feasibility study for a wastewater management system on Plandome Road, a project that the Manhasset Chamber of Commerce came to see as a real possibility after learning about Castagna’s, said past chamber president C.J. Coleman.
“Alex Wong is a superstar, and he’s been tremendously inspiring to the Manhasset chamber when we met with him to discuss a wastewater management system,” Coleman said.
