Wastewater Management Initiatives for the Town of Coventry
Weston & Sampson has provided a wide range of utility management, planning, and engineering services to the Town of Coventry, Rhode Island. Further, we have assisted the town in implementing many successful initiatives to improve the state of wastewater management in the community. Extending over the past several decades, the following are examples of the range of our services.
Facilities Planning and Focused Wastewater Studies
Weston & Sampson prepared several facilities plan document and updates for the community, starting with a Facilities Plan Supplement in 1982. Since that time we have completed a range of facilities planning efforts for the town, including:
- Industrial Sewer Study
- Wastewater Facilities Plan Update
- Wastewater Facilities Plan Reaffirmation
- On-Site Wastewater Management Plan (focused on managing individual systems)
- Amended Wastewater Facilities Plan
- Inter-Municipal, Inter-Governmental and Inter-Party Agreements
As Coventry lacks a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF), facility planning has provided for connection to a regional WWTF in West Warwick, an adjacent community. We advised the town on negotiation and preparation of several inter-municipal agreements relative to wastewater disposal with the regional WWTF. We also advised on inter-municipal agreement issues with neighboring communities whose sewage flows through Coventry, including West Greenwich, East Greenwich and Scituate.
We have provided extensive assistance with public-private partnership (PPP) for wastewater management in Coventry. We helped negotiate and prepare inter-party agreements with private entities for connection to the Coventry sewer system, including both in-town developers, and a major out-of-town industrial partner.
We assisted the town with reviewing the option of acquiring a private industrial 1.5 mgd WWTF, possible acquisition of discharge permit rights, and negotiation of related system connection and financial contribution. More recently, after many years of review, the town acquired a local private sewer system, including a pump station and 3-mile long force main.
Financing and Funding
In addition to helping the town negotiate and secure over $6 million in private party funding to construct its main sewer interceptor system, we have assisted the town in securing funding support from a number of programs, including:
- State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan Program
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding
- RI Interceptor Bond Fund grants
- Specialized grant and loan funds administered through Economic Development
We have also assisted town in establishing new sewer use charge systems for local cost recovery, and in negotiating wholesale sewer use charges with the Regional WWTF located in West Warwick. We have supported several sewer rate study and reviews performed by the town, and continue to advise on issues relative to local cost recovery, including system assessments and user charges.
Permitting, Design and Construction
Weston & Sampson assisted the town in implementing its fast-track sewer program, including design, permitting and construction of:
- Over 6 miles of new 30” and 24” diameter sewer interceptors, including a new multi-barrel inverted siphon crossing of the Pawtuxet River
- A new 8-mgd custom wastewater pump station, with dual force main discharge
- Over 4 miles of additional gravity sewers mains up to 15” diameter
We have continued to assist the town with collection system design to serve new village areas of the town, consistent with the completed facility planning.
Ongoing System Operation & Maintenance
Recognizing the town’s limited resources and lack of dedicated wastewater management staff, we assisted the town in setting up a plan for procuring contract operations of its sewer system. Weston & Sampson continues to assist the town with system operation and maintenance (O&M), as well as technical review of applications for connections, facility and private service connection inspection, and general consulting advice.