Suffolk County, New York, has been a model for tackling nitrogen pollution from onsite wastewater systems. Now, local grants to upgrade treatment systems are producing another consequence for homeowners: larger tax bills that may be as much about local politics as taxes. And the issue has led one part of county government to consider legal action against another.
The county occupies the eastern tip of Long Island and is home to the wealthy communities known commonly as the Hamptons. Wastewater treatment at many county homes depend on cesspools. During the last couple of years, the county has offered grants to replace
