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Wastewater budget includes $1.3M regional treatment charge; facilities plan due in September
Summary
Public works staff said Narragansett pays about 45% of the regional treatment facility operating cost (cited as $1.3 million in the budget), is short‑staffed in wastewater operations, and has multiple capital projects including generator replacement, solids‑handling upgrades, pump‑station repairs and infiltration/inflow work.
Town wastewater staff presented the wastewater operating and capital budgets and described several ongoing and planned projects. Staff said they are currently short‑staffed in wastewater operations and recently hired one new employee; payroll costs were budgeted based on existing positions and contract‑driven wages.
A key operating number cited by staff is the sewage treatment charge from the regional treatment facility (South Kingstown), which staff read in the packet as approximately $1,300,000. Staff said Narragansett’s contribution to the regional plant is roughly 40–45% of flow and that the town pays its share of operations and capital based on measured flow contributions. Staff said the regional plant invoices include both operating and capital components, and that some capital charges are billed after projects are constructed and apportioned by flow contribution in the fiscal year when the project is built.
Capital items covered in the presentation include: a group of solids‑handling upgrades, a planned replacement and design for a main generator (design expected to be complete in December), pump‑station repairs covering the town’s 19 remote pump stations (staff budgeted $440,000 for that program), and continued work on infiltration and inflow removal investigations and projects. Staff said the Scarborough Treatment Plant capital account was used to fund multiple regional capital projects and that some capital figures are derived from South Kingstown projections and allocation formulas.
Staff also said the town has requested a one‑year lease extension with URI (the University of Rhode Island) pending completion of the wastewater facilities plan, which is scheduled to include public hearings per statute and be completed by September. The facilities plan will assess capacity and treatment needs, including work tied to supporting seafood processing capacity in Galilee.
Ending: Wastewater staff said the facilities plan due in September will guide capital priorities and that the town will continue to work with South Kingstown and URI on flow accounting and cost allocation as consultant reports and project schedules progress.
