The red flag flying above the Wellington Avenue pump station signals that a CSO event has occured. (Photo by Tom Shevlin)
NEWPORT, R.I. – Heavy rains and an astronomical high tide led to a combined sewer overflow at both of the city’s outflow areas.
According to an e-mail sent out by the Department of Utilities early Wednesday morning, CSO events are occurring at both the Wellington and Washington CSO Facilities.
Puddles looking more like ponds filled King Park early Thursday, much to the delight of some geese and several mallards. (Photo by Tom Shevlin)
For those not familiar with CSO events, the problem usually stems from significant rain events, which result in excessive amounts of rain water entering the sanitary sewer system. Once the capacity of the sanitary sewer is exceeded, the excess flow, which is a mixture of sewage and rain water, is discharged into Newport Harbor. The overflow is referred to as a combined sewer overflow or CSO. All CSO events are reported to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM).
Wellington Avenue was briefly closed this morning due to flooding, however workers from city contractor United Water soon had the catch basins cleared, allowing water to drain from the roadway. One reader wrote in to report that up to eight inches of water had accumulated in some portions of the road.
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Newport, RI
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Again if the catch basins were actually being cleaned in an orderly fasion the emergency cleaning would not be needed. We pay for them to be cleaned but do not check to see that they are being done. Another city give away.