The Infrastructure That Enables Development
Infrastructure follows a logic: sewer goes in first, then development follows.
For decades, the Route 110 / New York Avenue corridor in Huntington Station was constrained in its development potential — not by zoning alone, but by the physical absence of sewer infrastructure. High-density residential development in New York State typically requires connection to a public sewer system. Without it, density is limited.
That constraint is being removed.
The New York Avenue Sewer Project — a $66 million public infrastructure investment currently under construction — is extending sewer service along the Route 110 corridor. The project is being built by ALAC Contracting with a projected completion date of late 2027.
When the project is complete, the corridor will have the infrastructure prerequisite for high-density residential development. What follows — how many units, how much water demand, and how much of the associated cost falls to SHWD ratepayers — depends on decisions being made right now.
Project Details
| Item | Details |
| Project Name | New York Avenue Sewer Project |
| Total Cost | $66,000,000 |
| Contractor | ALAC Contracting |
| Projected Completion | Late 2027 |
| Corridor | New York Avenue / Route 110, Town of Huntington |
| Purpose | Extend sewer infrastructure along Route 110 corridor |
| Effect on Development | Enables high-density residential and mixed-use development |
Why Sewer Infrastructure Matters for Water
The connection between sewer infrastructure and water demand is direct:
- High-density residential development requires sewer connections. State health codes and practical engineering limit the residential density that can be served by septic systems. Multi-family buildings with 50, 100, or 400 units need a public sewer system.
- Sewer capacity is the gating factor. Before the NY Avenue project, the Route 110 corridor lacked the sewer infrastructure to support large multifamily developments. That constraint acted as a practical cap on density.
- When sewer arrives, water demand follows. Every new residential unit connected to the sewer system also connects to the water system. Increased sewer capacity directly enables increased water consumption — and therefore increased demand on SHWD wells, treatment plants, and distribution infrastructure.
- SHWD must serve whatever is built. The South Huntington Water District is an essential service provider. If development is approved within its service area, the district is generally obligated to provide water service. The costs of serving that demand flow to ratepayers.
A $66 million sewer project is not just a sanitation project. It is a development-enabling project. When complete, the physical constraint on high-density development along Route 110 will be gone. What gets built — and how much water demand it generates — is determined by the approvals being granted today.
The Documented Development Pipeline
The sewer project isn’t speculative. A real pipeline of projects is already in motion — some already approved, some state-funded, all waiting on sewer completion:
| Project | Address | Units | Status |
| Gateway South (East + West) | 16 & 25 Depot Rd. | 65 apartments + commercial | ZBA approved; Planning Board pending; construction tied to sewer completion |
| Southgate Affordable Redevelopment | 1264–1268 New York Ave | TBD (3-story mixed-use) | State DRI funded — $2M committed |
| The Concord Mixed-Use | 1328 New York Ave | TBD (two 3-story buildings) | State DRI funded — $1.087M committed |
These three projects alone represent a minimum of 65 confirmed residential units and two additional state-funded buildings with unit counts not yet publicly disclosed. No comprehensive water demand assessment for the full corridor build-out has been publicly released by SHWD.
Cumulative Impact: What’s Already on the Table
| Factor | Melville Crossing | NY Ave Corridor (Known So Far) |
| Units | 400 | 65+ (more TBD) |
| Peak Water Demand | ~116,000 GPD | ~19,500 GPD (Gateway South alone) |
| Developer SHWD Contribution | $0 | Not disclosed |
| Sewer Infrastructure | Existing sewer capacity in Melville area | Enabled by NY Ave project |
| Ratepayer Impact | Incremental bonds + rates | Compounding with each additional project |
Melville Crossing’s 116,000+ GPD peak demand is roughly 8–9% of the district’s estimated total residential daily demand — from a single development. The NY Avenue corridor has the potential to support multiple additional projects of similar or larger scale. The cumulative water demand impact on SHWD has not been publicly assessed.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
| 2024 | NY Avenue Sewer construction begins |
| March 19, 2026 | Melville Crossing public hearing — Town of Huntington |
| Post-March 2026 | Additional corridor development applications expected |
| Late 2027 | NY Avenue Sewer Project projected completion |
| 2027+ | Gateway South construction begins (developer-confirmed) |
What SHWD Ratepayers Should Know
The NY Avenue project is a Town and County project — it is not funded by SHWD, and SHWD is not the decision-maker on its construction. But SHWD ratepayers will live with its consequences.
When sewer infrastructure makes new high-density development feasible, and when that development is approved by the Town Board, SHWD must plan for — and finance — the water infrastructure to serve it. That financing flows through bonds authorized by the Town Board and is repaid by ratepayers through property taxes.
The public processes are happening now. The hearings are scheduled. The opportunity to speak on the record exists.
Key Questions for Public Officials
- Has the Town commissioned a cumulative water demand analysis covering all developments enabled by the NY Avenue sewer project?
- What SHWD infrastructure investment will be required to serve the anticipated corridor development, and who will pay for it?
- Will developer agreements for corridor projects include contributions to SHWD infrastructure?
- What is the projected cumulative ratepayer cost impact of full build-out of the Route 110 corridor?
These are not rhetorical questions. They are the kinds of questions that appear in environmental impact reviews, infrastructure assessments, and fiscal impact analyses. Residents have every right to ask whether those analyses have been done.
Sources: SHWD 2024 Audited Financial Statements; Town of Huntington public records; Newsday (October 2025); NYS Governor’s Office DRI announcement (May 2024); ALAC Contracting project records.