Harbor commission urges redesign of Secana Point Club intake/outfall plan, asks CRMC for more study

The Little Compton Harbor Commission and the Town Council reviewed an application forwarded by the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) from Secana Point Club for a proposed seawater intake and discharge associated with the club’s reverse‑osmosis system.

Harbor Commission members and a commission representative raised concerns about the proposed outlet location near the town dock and within a low‑circulation southwest corner of the harbor. The commission said the proposed outlet could increase local salinity near shellfish beds and low‑circulation areas and recommended the club and CRMC rework the design to move the diffuser/outfall closer to the harbor mouth or otherwise reduce stagnation impact.

A Harbor Commission representative explained the operational drivers: the club’s onsite wells have deteriorated and supply poor‑quality, silted water; the club wants to supplement or replace well water with seawater for desalination. That process yields concentrated brine as a byproduct; as described at the meeting, “a gallon of seawater becomes a half a gallon of usable water and a half a gallon of water with twice the amount of [salinity],” a change the commission said could affect nearby quahog beds and circulation‑sensitive shellfish habitat.

Harbor commissioners noted the harbor’s unique circulation between the salt marsh and harbor entrance and asked for additional engineering work to show how the concentrated discharge would disperse at the proposed location. The commission also requested that the Point Club engage more fully with local stakeholders and the Harbor Commission on the full permit package before CRMC takes a final action.

The council voted to forward the Harbor Commission’s concerns to CRMC and asked staff to record the council’s preference that the applicant revisit the diffuser/outlet design to minimize impacts to low‑circulation areas and nearby shellfish beds. The council and Harbor Commission said they are not opposed in principle to the club obtaining seawater for desalination but seek a redesign or more detailed dispersion analysis to protect the estuary and shellfish resources.

The Harbor Commission and club representatives indicated they would continue discussions and share revised designs with local stakeholders before resubmitting to CRMC.