Services
- Scheduled maintenance visits (typically twice yearly) and the required service records
- Air pump / blower diagnosis and replacement — pumps last 5–10 years, and $300–$600 a year for the maintenance contract, plus $75–$250 a year in electricity (county figures) is the typical annual operating cost
- Alarm response: a blinking or sounding alarm usually means the air pump has stopped; the system reverts to anaerobic treatment within days if it isn't fixed
- Effluent quality checks and float/dosing adjustments
- Pumping — an ATU still accumulates solids
On Long Island the nitrogen-reducing unit is called an I/A OWTS — innovative/alternative onsite wastewater treatment system — and Suffolk County will pay up to $45,000 toward putting one in, through the county Septic Improvement Program and the New York State Septic System Replacement Program together. Three things to know before you own one. Annual professional maintenance is required for the life of the system and the county oversees compliance; the county's grant covers the first three years, and on the East End the Peconic Estuary Partnership reimburses up to $500 a year after that. The county puts the maintenance contract at $300 to $600 a year and electricity at $75 to $250. And a grant-funded system cannot be removed without the county's prior written approval. What it costs to run
Common brands serviced: Clearstream, Jet, Norweco, Hoot, Fuji Clean and other units approved for New York. Installation and warranty work require manufacturer certification beyond the standard contractor license — ask which brands your contractor is certified on.
All work is performed by local licensed, permitted Suffolk County-approved installers.