10,000 Gallons of Raw Sewage Spill Into Peconic River From Broken Pipe

The incident highlights ongoing concerns about aging sewage infrastructure in New York State, where approximately 40 percent of the state's 35,000 miles of sewers are more than 60 years old.

Rudy Blalock

Published: 1/20/2026, 5:01:21 AM EST

10,000 Gallons of Raw Sewage Spill Into Peconic River From Broken Pipe — A satellite image of Long Island’s Peconic River. (Google Maps/screenshot)

A construction mishap at a Long Island apartment complex resulted in approximately 10,000 gallons of raw sewage pouring into the Peconic River last Wednesday, health officials reported.

The broken sewer pipe discharged untreated waste into the waterway for more than 45 minutes, prompting the Suffolk County Department of Health to issue a safety advisory urging the public to avoid Grangebel Park and the surrounding water.

The incident highlights ongoing concerns about aging sewage infrastructure in New York State, where approximately 40 percent of the state's 35,000 miles of sewers are more than 60 years old. According to state data, nearly 65 percent of sewers over 60 years old experience overflow events.

"The government really needs to keep an eye on this, they can't just say no harm, no foul—that amount of raw sewage can certainly cause major problems," John Di Leonardo, president of Humane Long Island, told the New York Post.

He highlighted the importance of cautious assessment given previous incidents in the region. "Last year's PSEG oil spill, which the company and DEC called 'nonhazardous,' we recovered numerous dead animals from that spill despite stakeholders downplaying its effects—so it's always wise to approach comments downplaying spills with healthy skepticism," he said.

State law requires that untreated and partially treated sewage discharges from treatment works and sewer systems be reported to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) within two hours and to the public within four hours. The New York State DEC maintains a public reporting system called NY-Alert that tracks sewage discharge notifications.

The complete health impact of the Peconic River discharge remains unknown, pending water sample results from state and county environmental officials. Di Leonardo noted that without laboratory confirmation of water quality, it is impossible to determine the full consequences.

The Sewage Pollution Right to Know law, enacted in 2013, was designed to ensure the public receives timely notification of sewage discharges that could contaminate recreational areas and shellfish beds. Municipalities are required to include information about discharge location, duration, volume, whether the sewage was treated, and corrective actions taken.

Water quality concerns stem from multiple causes of sewage system failures, including heavy rainfall, blockages, structural failures, collapsed pipes, and vandalism. The age of New York's sewage systems compounds such risks, with about 10 percent of the state's sewers built before 1925.

The Department of Health Services advises anyone who may have come into contact with water in the tidal portion of the Peconic River to rinse off with clean water as soon as possible. Officials recommend seeking medical attention if experiencing symptoms of nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea; throat, eye, or skin irritation; or any breathing difficulties or allergic reactions.