Port Washington Gets $2.2M for Sewer & Water Upgrades

Federal dollars are heading to Port Washington, and for once, the money is going exactly where it needs to go.

U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi secured nearly $2.2 million in federal funding for two critical infrastructure projects on the Port Washington peninsula, targeting sewer systems that in some cases date back more than six decades. The funding splits evenly between the Village of Manorhaven and the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District, each receiving $1.092 million to address aging equipment that has been limping along well past its useful life.

This is the unglamorous work of government — replacing pipes nobody sees and upgrading pump stations nobody thinks about until they fail. But the consequences of failure here aren’t abstract. Manorhaven sits on Manhasset Bay, and the sewer pipe at the center of this project runs beneath Sheets Creek Channel, connecting the main portion of the village to its pump station. Mayor John Popeleski put it plainly: if that pipe goes, it could take years to clean up the bay. That’s not hyperbole. That’s what happens when you let 70-year-old infrastructure run until it breaks.

Popeleski noted the project has been in development for several years and is now dig-ready, with all DEC permits in hand. The federal funding kicks off what he described as a $5 million total project. The Suozzi money doesn’t cover the whole bill, but it moves the needle and, critically, positions the village to pursue additional grants. That’s smart grant strategy — use federal seed money to unlock more.

On the pump station side, the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District will use its allocation to modernize Pump Stations C and F, both of which are more than 60 years old. Commissioner Melanie Cassens called the upgrades long overdue. She’s right. Pump stations aren’t optional equipment. When they fail, sewage doesn’t just disappear.

Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton attended the February 27 celebration alongside Suozzi and local officials. She credited Suozzi’s advocacy for delivering the funding and made a point worth underscoring: this federal money alleviates pressure on local taxpayers who would otherwise foot the entire bill for these repairs through district assessments and village budgets. Infrastructure costs fall hardest on middle-class homeowners in communities like Port Washington, and every grant dollar secured is a dollar that doesn’t show up on a tax bill.

Credit where it’s due — Suozzi is doing the constituent service work that defines effective congressional representation. Securing appropriations for local infrastructure isn’t flashy, but it’s what residents actually need from their congressman. Whatever your read on Suozzi’s politics, this is the job done correctly.

The broader context matters here. Long Island’s sewer and water infrastructure is aging across the board. Dozens of communities are running systems built in the postwar boom, and the bills are coming due. Port Washington isn’t unique in facing this problem — it’s just ahead of the curve in securing money to fix it. Other North Shore communities should be watching closely and asking their own elected officials why similar projects aren’t moving.

There’s also an environmental dimension that shouldn’t be understated. Manhasset Bay has faced water quality challenges for years. Sewage contamination from failing infrastructure is a direct threat to the bay’s health and to the shellfish beds and recreational waters that define the character of these communities. Protecting that water quality isn’t just an environmental priority — it’s an economic one. Property values on the Port Washington peninsula are tied directly to the health of the bay.

The check has been delivered. The permits are in hand. Now the work begins. Long Island communities that have been watching their infrastructure age without a plan should take note: the funding exists, but someone has to go get it.