Field's Point has a Handle on Raw Sewage

Reporting by TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

Video work by RAMON GARCIA/special to ecoRI News

PROVIDENCE — In the three years since the the Field's Point wastewater treatment facility was built, upper Narragansett Bay has become considerably cleaner. Before the 3-mile tunnel opened, raw sewage would dump into the bay about 90 times a year. It now happens about four times a year.

The $350 million, seven-year project completed its first phase on time and under budget. Phase 2 and 3 will bring in sewage and stormwater from other parts of Providence and eventually will accept wastewater from Central Falls and Pawtucket.

The Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) runs the facility, known as the Combined Sewer Overflow project, from its Field's Point headquarters off Allens Avenue. The NBC has many other green projects in the works, including a biogas-to-energy installation and three new wind turbines slated for installation in March.

Comments

[David Karoff]

Do we know what the rainfall threshold is for the four times / year that raw sewage is dumped in the Bay? And what the amortization period is for the rate increase? And what the annual increase for the average rate payer?

The video I'm really looking forward to seeing is footage from the Boston Whaler scooting around in the tunnel. Water-skiing, anyone?