More than two years ago, Southampton Village secured a significant boost in its long-running effort to restore Lake Agawam, one of the most polluted lakes in New York State. In early 2023, the village was awarded more than $10 million in grant funding to launch several water quality initiatives, including the purchase of three large-scale algae harvesters designed to reduce harmful algal blooms.
The investment combined support from Southampton Town’s Community Preservation Fund water quality program and federal funding. Together, these resources allowed the village to partner with AECOM, an engineering firm that previously conducted a successful algae-skimming pilot program on the lake in 2019.
The algae harvesters were at the center of the restoration plan. Built to continuously skim the lake during warmer months, the machines separate algae cells from the water, helping remove excess nitrogen and phosphorous—the nutrients that fuel algal growth. When fully operational, the system is capable of circulating and returning as much as 3 million gallons of clean, oxygenated water back into the lake.
These improvements were part of a broader strategy that also included the installation of a bioswale on West Main Street and dredging work at Old Town Pond. Additional environmental research explored ways to repurpose collected algae, with early studies looking at turning the biomass into clean energy.
Lake Agawam became the first waterway on Long Island selected for a full-scale algae harvesting system—an important milestone for regional preservation efforts. The long-term hope has been that, if effective, this technology could eventually help restore other algae-impacted lakes and ponds in the village.
While the initiatives began several years ago, the focus on improving Lake Agawam remains an ongoing priority as communities across Long Island continue working toward healthier, more resilient waterways.
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