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Woonsocket public works director warns of looming wastewater and incineration costs tied to Synagro transition
Summary
The city’s public works director told the council the city will assume responsibility for an incineration facility currently run by Synagro on July 1, 2027, and warned the cost of required work could be in the "tens of millions." He urged a council workshop and said litigation and operational changes make planning urgent.
The Woonsocket public works director told the City Council the municipality faces a major financial risk tied to the wastewater incineration facility currently operated by Synagro and that the city will assume responsibility for the plant on July 1, 2027.
The director described the coming transfer as a potential “financial tsunami” and repeatedly urged the council to hold a workshop to consider options and litigation exposures. “In 07/01/2027… we are going to inherit that plant and all the issues that go along with it. And I can assure you it is in the tens of millions,” he told the council.
The director summarized current contractors and responsibilities: Jacobs operates the wastewater facility, Synagro operates the incineration plant, Veolia runs the city’s collection system and the water treatment plant. He said the water treatment plant was substantially rebuilt after long-running discharges to the river and praised community stakeholders who had pushed for the upgrade; by contrast, he said the incineration operation has ongoing problems and will impose large costs the city must plan for now.
The director said the council previously voted to eliminate liquid sludge by July 1, 2027, and called for a single operator model rather than multiple vendors at the plant. He asked for a workshop — potentially in closed session because of litigation matters — to present a plan he shared with the mayor and to allow a full review of options before the city assumes operational and financial responsibility.
The director also urged councilors to read the updated city charter provisions governing the finance director’s authority, saying the finance director has “enormous power” to supervise disbursement and determine the regularity and legality of claims under Chapter 5. He said those charter provisions are central to managing any large upcoming expenditures.
The director concluded that the council faces a choice and a near-term schedule to act: “We are at a crossroads,” he said, and asked the council president to schedule a workshop so staff could explain legal and financial options.
No formal action was taken during the presentation; councilors agreed to arrange follow-up briefings and a workshop for more detailed discussion.
