Narragansett council directs town manager to seek cost estimates to cover parts of Scarborough treatment plant amid persistent odors

The Narragansett Town Council voted 5-0 Monday to direct the town manager to obtain cost estimates for covering portions of the Scarborough (South End) wastewater treatment facility — including the headworks and the racetrack-style ditch — to mitigate odors that residents say have intensified during summer months.

Town Manager Jim Tierney told the council the town has been working on improvements since a 2007 facilities plan and that the town has invested $5,365,000 in capital projects at the plant since 2007 and $2,265,000 since February 2019. Tierney said the town has a facilities plan with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) under review and that DEM approval is expected in October.

Why it matters: Residents along South Pier Road and adjacent streets have reported “objectionable” odors in recent months, and public commenters at the meeting urged quicker, tangible action. Councilors described the covering proposal as an interim, site-level mitigation step that would not replace a long-term plant upgrade or expansion.

Most important details: Tierney said the town had explored several immediate mitigation measures: leasing “odor cannon” units at roughly $10,000 for the summer months and purchasing a hydrogen sulfide analyzer at about $28,000. He stressed those measures do not fix process-capacity problems: "It's not going to fix the processing issue we have. It's an old plant, and it needs major replacement," Tierney said. He added the town had already increased odor-mitigation chemicals and planned further operational steps.

Council discussion and public input focused on two parallel priorities: (1) identify short-term steps that reduce neighborhood impacts now, and (2) keep momentum on the long-term facility plan and its funding. Councilor Ryan Durkin, who moved Monday’s item, said covering the headworks and ditch was recommended in the 2007 facilities maintenance plan and argued that building a steel enclosure over the headworks and ditch could substantially reduce air exposure from the screens and manual debris removal.

Public commenters urged both immediate and long-term solutions. Resident Jack Dwyer cited Rhode Island DEM Rule 9, which prohibits odors that are objectionable beyond a facility’s property line, and called for carbon scrubbers, biofilters and capping of tanks. Resident Carol Spaziano, who lives near the plant, told the council "the odor was horrendous" on the day of the meeting and thanked staff for responding. Several councilors recommended additional public briefings and requested a clearer implementation timeline and cost/benefit estimates before work begins.

What the council directed: The motion — moved by Councilor Durkin and seconded by Councilor McNally — asked the town manager to obtain estimates for the cost of covering the headworks and the circular ditch and to report back to the council. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0. The vote was a direction to staff (not an authorization to spend specific funds). Tierney said the town will include the state-owned facility flows and other users in the materials it compiles.

Context and next steps: Tierney said the town had been pursuing grant funding and that the DEM has the facility plan; once DEM approval is received the capital plan between 2026 and 2031 (currently estimated near $12 million) will be adjusted to reflect DEM recommendations. Councilors and residents repeatedly urged the town to produce a concise timeline for past and planned work at both the Scarborough/South End plant and the regional plant the town uses so that the public can track progress.

Ending: Council members said the covering estimates are an interim step while the town continues facility planning and funding work. The town manager and public works staff will return to the council with cost estimates, feasibility notes and recommended next steps.