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Storm Water Pollution Update Middletown & Newport are striving to solve the problem of contamination of Easton’s Beach & Atlantic Beach from storm drain runoff. Middletown explored the possibility of extending the storm drain pipe to run a mile out into the ocean where tides & currents would “flush“ and dilute the outfall. The Woods Hole Group, a private engineering firm out of Falmouth MA, was hired to study the feasibility of this plan. Their study considered discharge volume & pollutant concentration, prevailing wave, tide & current conditions. Discharge data from two storm water outfall pipes off Esplanade was studied and consideration was given to combining these into one discharge pipe to be located next to ROW Y-5 at the intersection of Shore Drive and Esplanade. It was found that combining the two outfalls into one would require location of the discharge site to be placed at a far greater distance (16,690 ft offshore) to meet human contact standards. Additionally, in order to prevent storm water back up into the system the combined outflow volume would require installation of a pump. The cost to pursue this solution has been estimated as high as $10 million. |
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FAQs | Meanwhile, Newport undertook a study to address storm water pollution coming from the moat around Easton’s Pond which flows under the roadway forming the creek between Easton’s & Atlantic Beaches. The approach they explored was to treat the contaminated water with ultraviolet light to kill bacteria, viruses and pathogens before it hits the shore. Middletown has recently begun to explore this solution. Easton’s Point Association board members recently attended a presentation by the engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill detailing how this would be done. Newport plans to build an ultraviolet treatment plant (38 feet by 15 feet)to be located at the eastern edge of the parking area of Easton’s Beach (alongside the creek). The lamps are to be activated only during each actual storm event. The cost to build the facility is $3.8 million with operating and maintenance costs projected to be $267,000 per year (estimate based on 40 two-day storm events in one year). Currently Middletown has begun talking with Newport to look at the possibility of combining storm drain runoff in such a way that the ultraviolet plant could be a shared facility. Building a separate plant is also being considered in the event that engineering and cost of a shared plant would not be feasible.
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Easton's Point Association, Inc. | P.O. Box 4055 | Middletown, Rhode Island 02842 |
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