City Sets Aggressive Sewer Pipe Repair Plan

The city's Long Warf sewer main repair was unplanned. The city's next round is planned and paid for.

NEWPORT, R.I. – Less than one month after work was completed on an emergency repair to the Long Wharf sewer main, city officials are preparing for a new round of sewer pipe work which they hope will cut down on groundwater infiltration into the city’s sewer system and cut down on pollution.

And unlike the Long Wharf repair, which city staff have referred to as “the $14 million surprise,” this work has been planned and budgeted for.

In all, more than 7,000 linear feet of pipe work will be carried out over the next year, most taking place in the heart of the Fifth Ward.  The total cost for the repairs has been set at $1.75 million.

According to a memo sent to councilors earlier this month, the work is part of the Phase 1 Part 2 CSO Control Plan, which is designed to help alleviate CSO events suspected to be caused in part by faulty or failing infrastructure.

The existing pipe segments, mostly constructed of vitrified clay pipe, were noted in earlier inspections to have defects including sags, msialigned pipes, and cracks. The repairs are intended to fix these problems and are expected to eliminate a portion of the inflow of groundwater into the system, which puts a strain on the city’s treatment plant and contributes to CSO events during heavy rain events.

The following streets or portions therof will have sewer mains replaced:

• Atlantic Street between Marchant and Houston (340 ft.)
• Bateman between Weatherly and Vanderbilt (300 ft.)
• Sections of Caroll south of Ruggles (480 ft.)
• Clinton between Washington and W. Narragansett (600 ft.)
• Connection between Houston and Thames (680 ft.)
• Halidon at Wellington Corner (700 ft.)
• Harold from Old Fort to 100 yards east (260 ft.)
• McCormick Road (340 ft.)
• Stacy Street (240 ft.)
• Morgan Street (160 ft.)
• Palmer Street (200 ft.)
• Sections of Old Fort (700 ft.)
• Potter Street from Marchant to Thames (620 ft.)
• Sections of Roseneath (440 ft.)
• Ruggles between Andrew and George streets (400 ft.)
• Vaughn Avenue (580 ft.)
• Victoria from Lawrence to 100 yards east (260 ft.)
• West Narragansett from Thames to Marchant (780 ft.)

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