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Jamestown water and sewer staff report treatment review, collection-system inspections and near-term repairs
Summary
Town water and sewer staff reported a Veolia review of a 1990 pretreatment system using chlorine dioxide, a pending Department of Health approval for a North Kingstown interconnection, planned meter-replacement bidding, and CCTV inspections showing portions of the clay sewer system need repairs.
Mike, a Town water and sewer staff member, told the Jamestown Town Council on April 21 that the department is working with Veolia on a review of the plant’s pretreatment system and on broader distribution and collection‑system issues. The review includes a benchtop study of the 1990 pretreatment building at South Pond, which uses chlorine dioxide generated from chloride and chlorine gas.
The review aims to determine whether the pretreatment approach is being optimized and how any change would affect disinfection byproducts, Mike said. “We are compliant” with monitoring requirements, he added, but any change to how the town disinfects water would require permission from the Rhode Island Department of Health.
The department plans to advertise bids for a meter‑replacement project this week, Mike said, and reported that the Department of Health will conduct the town’s triennial sanitary survey on May 12. He described ongoing work on a corrosion study tied to a long‑standing emergency interconnection agreement with North Kingstown, explaining the study examined whether introducing North Kingstown water would affect lead and copper levels at taps. “We found that there was no change, that it wouldn't have an impact,” he said, and said the town is awaiting final approval from the Department of Health.
On wastewater, Mike said consultants delivered 50% design documents for a wastewater treatment facility, pump station and collection‑system projects and performed closed‑circuit television inspection on roughly 53,000 linear feet of sewer main. He said about 36,000 linear feet of pipe in the system have been lined previously; roughly 33,000 linear feet remain as clay or other older pipe types and those segments are the primary focus for future work. While most segments are not an immediate emergency, he said “there are a couple segments that…we probably should do sooner than later.”
Mike closed by reporting the reservoir supply remains adequate for the season, noting water was flowing over the spillway and that the department would like flows to continue into June to ensure supply for the year.
The council did not take a vote on capital authorization or a formal change to treatment at the meeting; Mike said any operational changes would be reported back and submitted to the Department of Health for approval before implementation.
