How Much Nitrogen is Too Much?

As part of the Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP), Suffolk County, New York responded to increasing concentrations of nitrogen in its sole-source aquifer and surrounding surface waters by developing the Suffolk County Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan (SWP). The primary goals of the SWP included identification of the primary sources of nitrogen to groundwater and surface waters, establishment of nitrogen reduction goals to achieve specific water quality and ecological endpoints, and development of an implementation plan to achieve the nitrogen load reductions. Suffolk County’s SWP was developed in a collaborative process, based upon an extensive water quality database, the application of state-of-the-art computer models, data analyses, statistical evaluations, and cost analyses, all guided by extensive stakeholder input.