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Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of Proposed Code Changes Regarding Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems in Suffolk County, NY
Citation:
Shattuck, S. AND S. Griffin. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of Proposed Code Changes Regarding Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems in Suffolk County, NY. 2017 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo, Atlanta,GA, November 04 - 08, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
To present the "Proposed Code Changes Regarding Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems in Suffolk County HIA" at the American Public Health Association Meeting in Atlanta, GA.
Description:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of proposed code changes regarding residential onsite sewage disposal systems (OSDS) in Suffolk County, New York. Of the approximately 569,000 housing units in Suffolk County, 365,000 are not sewered. The majority of OSDS (approximately 70%) were built prior to 1972 and are overdue for replacement. Failing OSDS are considered a primary cause of excessive nitrogen loading in surface waters of Suffolk County which has led to impaired surface waters, closed beaches, harmful algal blooms, damage of marine coastlines, and shellfish population die-off. The Suffolk County Government is considering changes to the County Sanitary Code regarding OSDS for residential properties as one of numerous efforts underway to address the growing environmental issues related to nitrogen loading and impaired waters. The proposed changes would require existing OSDS to be upgraded to a conventional or innovative/alternative OSDS. The goal of the HIA was to help inform the County’s decision by evaluating the potential for the proposed changes to impact individual and community health and provide evidence-based recommendations for the County to consider in their decision process. Based on input from stakeholders, community members, and scientific experts, pathways were identified through which the proposed code changes could potentially impact health. Five pathways were prioritized for inclusion in the HIA: Individual Sewerage System Performance and Failure; Water Quality; Community and Household Economics; Vector Control; and Resiliency to Natural Disaster. The HIA assessed each of these pathways using a mixed methods approach, including qualitative and quantitative data from geographic information system (GIS) and epidemiologic methods, social study design, statistical and graphical analysis, systematic literature review, and community engagement. The HIA provided recommendations to the County that promoted the positive health benefits and minimized potential adverse health effects of the proposed code changes.
URLs/Downloads:
https://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of Proposed Code Changes Regarding Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems in Suffolk County, NY (PDF, NA pp, 821 KB, about PDF)