North Providence Will Install New Sewer to Reduce SSOs
The Town of North Providence, R.I. will pay a $15,000 penalty and spend an additional $86,000 to install a municipal sewer line and to replace faulty private sewers in the Warren Street neighborhood.
This supplemental environmental project, required under the terms of the settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is designed to eliminate sewer system backups in an area that has experienced discharges of raw sewage inside housing units and into the street, presenting an environmental and public health threat.
As part of its effort to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows in Rhode Island, EPA, working closely with the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, has issued administrative orders to 12 communities and a wastewater utility, requiring them to take the actions necessary to maintain their wastewater collection systems and ensure the protection of Rhode Island water quality and the public health of its residents. The orders require each entity to conduct a systemwide assessment of its collection system, develop a plan to address any deficiencies identified, adopt long-term preventive maintenance programs, and provide an annual report to EPA listing overflows that have occurred and specific actions taken during the previous year to comply with the order.