[HISTORY: Adopted by the Suffolk County Legislature as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable. Uncodified sections of local laws amending these provisions are included at the end of this chapter.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Dumping and littering — See Ch. 433.
Storm sewers — See Ch. 759.
Surface water protection — See Ch. 1133.
ATTACHMENTS
763a Uncod LL Pro
[Adopted 10-25-1988 by L.L. No. 38-1988 (Ch. 446, Art. I, of the 1985 Code)]
A. 
This Legislature hereby finds and determines that recharge basins located within the County of Suffolk provide a critical function in the hydrogeologic cycle which should be protected and preserved to the maximum extent possible.
B. 
This Legislature further finds and determines that the use of recharge basins to collect storm runoff and retain it for groundwater recharge purposes has been crucial in facilitating groundwater recharge areas within the County of Suffolk as the County has become increasingly urbanized through extensive development resulting in the creation of impervious surfaces.
C. 
This Legislature also determines that many such recharge basins are not being properly maintained within the County of Suffolk and, in some cases, are being used for purposes in direct contradiction to their primary function by virtue of such activities as the dumping of construction debris and the temporary storage of machinery and building materials at such sites.
D. 
Therefore, the purpose of this article is to establish a mechanism for the designation and protection of those recharge basins owned and/or operated or maintained by the County of Suffolk, currently approximating 250 such sites.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
DEPARTMENT
The Suffolk County Department of Public Works.
RECHARGE BASIN
An excavated area, located within the County of Suffolk, which is generally associated with roadways, parking lots and paved or altered areas, which is designed to hold stormwater runoff and certain other waters for the purpose of recharging the collected water back to the groundwater system. This term shall include those sites commonly known as "sumps."
A. 
Any recharge basin owned and/or operated or maintained by the County of Suffolk is hereby designated as a "water recharge protection area."
B. 
All such water recharge protection areas shall be posted with signs facing out from each side of their perimeter with the following information, to be set forth in conspicuous lettering on a contrasting background:
(1) 
Designation of the site as a water recharge protection area;
(2) 
Statement of the site's function and importance in groundwater recharge;
(3) 
Prohibition against the dumping of any material within the water recharge protection area or around its perimeter;
(4) 
Telephone number for reporting alleged violations of this article to a County agency or department; and
(5) 
Penalties imposed for illegal dumping within such water recharge protection area pursuant to pertinent provisions of this article.
No person shall throw, dump, deposit, place or cause to be thrown, dumped, deposited or placed upon any recharge basin owned and/or operated or maintained by the County of Suffolk, in whatever capacity and for whatever purpose, any refuse, trash, garbage, debris, rubbish or litter, without the written consent of the County of Suffolk.
A violation of the provisions of § 763-4 above shall be punishable as an unclassified misdemeanor, subject to a fine of $1,000. Every day of violation shall constitute a separate offense.
Nothing contained in this article shall be construed as prohibiting any town or village within the County of Suffolk from enforcing the provisions of anti-litter ordinances on public property if such ordinances were enacted and in effect prior to the effective date of this article.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 446-7, Management and protection regulations, which immediately followed this section, was deleted at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. IV).