Infrastructure Capacity Assessment | Narragansett, RI

Through RIHousing’s Municipal Technical Assistance Program, Weston & Sampson is assisting the Town of Narragansett with a comprehensive evaluation of its water and sewer infrastructure to determine the community’s ability to support additional housing development.

The project builds on local priorities to better understand system constraints and align land use and housing goals with utility capacity.

The assessment includes compiling and analyzing zoning policies, intermunicipal agreements, water purchase agreements, and five years of system consumption data. Using GIS, our team is mapping developable parcels, vacant land, wetlands, and existing service areas to identify realistic opportunities for housing growth. We are conducting a high-level evaluation of demand under both current zoning and potential buildout scenarios, comparing these with existing conveyance, storage, and treatment capacity.

The study will highlight deficiencies and areas where infrastructure upgrades are needed and will recommend criteria for prioritizing investments. We will also propose policies for integrating capacity analysis into the development permitting process, helping the town plan proactively for both incremental growth and larger-scale housing opportunities. Results will be summarized in a final report and map atlas, with findings shared with town staff and presented at a Planning Board meeting.