St. Joseph’s College, Suffolk County and Village of Patchogue Receive Water Quality Grant

October 14, 2016

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – St. Joseph’s College (SJC), Suffolk County and the Village of Patchogue have been awarded more than $49,000 in funding from the Suffolk County Water Quality Protection and Restoration Program to purchase aeration devices to improve the water quality of Patchogue Lake, a water body that borders SJC Long Island to the east and is located within the boundaries of the Village of Patchogue.

“I am very grateful for and proud of the collaborative efforts by the Village of Patchogue, St. Joseph’s College and Legislator Robert Calarco to obtain funds for the restoration of Patchogue Lake,” said Mohammad Afzul Rana, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Biology at SJC. “We worked together to recognize the importance of ecological sustainability, as it would affect the beauty and restoration of the community. To find municipalities, politicians and community leaders who are all equally involved in preserving such a landmark is both remarkable and admirable.”

SJC and the Village of Patchogue worked with Suffolk County Legislator Robert Calarco (D-Patchogue) to apply for funding to improve Patchogue Lake as part of the Clean Lakes in Patchogue (CLIP) Project. The funding, which will be used to obtain and install an aeration system in Patchogue Lake, will benefit the following: improved water flow and circulation; reduced high metal concentrations; increased dissolved oxygen concentration; reduced buildup of poisonous gases; elimination of stress to aquatic organisms; increased water clarity; reduced accumulation of sediments; reduced algal blooms and reduced nutrient releases.

Once the aeration system is installed, SJC faculty and students will work to continually monitor its effectiveness and the overall improvement of the lake. Periodic lake cleanups will also take place in order to remove water flow impediments and reduce muck levels.

For more information about SJC, visit sjcny.edu.

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE
St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. Through SJC Brooklyn, SJC Long Island and SJC Online, the College offers degrees in 49 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.