Southampton I/A Septic Rebate: How to Get Up to $25,000

The Town of Southampton pays its own rebate, through the Community Preservation Fund, to owners who replace a cesspool or septic system with an I/A system. It comes on top of the Suffolk County and New York State grants, and it covers some costs the county grant doesn't, like design and a 3-year maintenance contract.

Quick facts. Base rebate: up to $20,000. Low to moderate income incentive: an extra $5,000 if approved. Maximum: $25,000. Paid: after the work, about 60 to 90 days after a complete packet. Deadline: within one year of the county's final approval. Contact: Community Preservation Office, 631-287-5720, septicrebate@southamptontownny.gov.

Who is eligible

• Owners of property in a priority area shown in the Town's Water Quality Improvement Project Plan. The Town's rebate page has a link to check your property.
• Owners replacing an existing sanitary system with an I/A system. There is an exception for the Town's affordable housing program.
• Owners outside a priority area who have a collapsing system may still be eligible. The Town asks you to call the office.

New construction on vacant land is not eligible. The East End septic flyer from Southampton and East Hampton describes the Southampton rebate as available for homes in the Medium and High priority areas.

How much you can get

• A base rebate of up to $20,000
• An extra $5,000 Low to Moderate Income Incentive, if approved, using HUD income limits. Include your most recent tax return with the application.
• A maximum rebate of $25,000

The final amount depends on your total eligible costs and on the other grants you received. The rebate doesn't pay for costs that the county or state grants already covered.

What the rebate covers

Any costs directly tied to the upgrade, for example:

• Removing the old system
• Design
• Labor and materials for the new system
• A 3-year maintenance contract
• Restoring your property

It does not cover expediting fees, landscaping beyond restoring the property to how it was, costs covered by the county or state grants, and other items at the Town's discretion.

How to apply

1. Download the Town's rebate application and an IRS W-9 form. The Town says to save the W-9 and fill it in with Adobe Acrobat Reader, not in your browser.
2. If someone is applying for you, also complete the Owner Endorsement Form.
3. Return the application and W-9 to the Community Preservation Office by mail or email.
4. Apply for the county and state grants separately on the county's site. See our step-by-step grant guide.

Getting paid: the final packet

Rebates are issued after the work is done. Send the Community Preservation Department one complete packet with:

• From Suffolk County: the Inspector Certification Letter, the Final Approval Letter, and the final survey with the original green stamp. If the system was replaced because of a catastrophic failure, send the Sanitary Replacement/Retrofit Acknowledgement instead.
• From the Town: a Certificate of Electrical Compliance, a Certificate of Wetlands Compliance if it applies, and the Septic Invoice Certification.
• From your records: copies of all invoices and proof of payment for eligible costs.

Payment takes about 60 to 90 days after the Town has all your paperwork. All final documents must reach the Town within one year of the Town receiving the county's Final Approval, so don't let the packet sit.

Who to call

• Rebate questions: Community Preservation Office, 24 West Montauk Hwy, Hampton Bays, NY 11946. Phone 631-287-5720, email septicrebate@southamptontownny.gov.
• Electrical permit questions only: Southampton Town Building Department, 631-702-1843.
• Technical questions about I/A installations: Suffolk County Office of Wastewater Management, 631-852-5700.

Related guides

• What an I/A system costs and how the grants stack
• How to apply for the county and state grants, step by step
• Cesspool rules: replacements, renovations, new homes and selling

Other town guides

• East Hampton
• Shelter Island
• Brookhaven
• Riverhead and Southold