Rhode Island
dean Watersheds Needs Survey 2004
The Clean Watersheds Needs
Survey (CWNS) is a comprehensive
assessment of needs1 to meet the water
quality and water-related public health
goals of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
States and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) conduct the
CWNS every four years under CWA
Sections 205(a) and 516 (b)(l).
Rhode Island reported needs totaling $1.4
billion in 2004. This is a fourteen percent
decrease from the $1.6 billion in needs
reported in 2000.
j
T -j ..--'''
/\ / County Needs ($M)
) '-' /0 ^^ None reported
-'" ^ | | < 90
| | 90-180
^B> 180
Facility Needs ($M)
J> : MO
I' S 8 > 10
Reported Needs in Rhode Island
Type of Need
Wastewater treatment plant improvements
Wastewater collection and conveyance improvements
Combined sewer overflow correction
Stormwater management controls
Home sewage treatment system improvements
Recycled wastewater distribution"
Total Wastewater Treatment Needs
Agriculture best management practices (BMPs)
Forestry BMPs
Residential/ business development BMPs
Ground water protection BMPs
Marinas and boating BMPs
Mining and quarrying BMPs
Contaminated industrial site (Brownfield) remediation
Leaking storage tank remediation
Sanitary landfill BMPs
Water resource restoration and protection
Total Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Needs0
Total Needs
Needs (2004
2000
$247
$587
$705
nrb
n/a
n/a
$1,539
nr
nr
nr
$2
nr
nr
nr
nr
$34
nr
$36
$1,575
Dollars, Millions)
2004 Percent Change
$170
$355
$636
$5
$14
nr
$1,180
nr
nr
$2
nr
nr
nr
$1
nr
$119
$54
$176
$1,356
-31%
-40%
-10%
n/a
n/a
n/a
-23%
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
250%
n/a
389%
-14%
a The CWNS did not collect data on recycled water distribution in 2000 b Not reported
0 The actual NFS pollution control needs are expected to be higher since documenting and reporting their costs is difficult.
1 Costs in the CWNS are generally eligible for funding under the Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). All needs are capital
needs except stormwater management needs, which include program development costs. The survey is a "snapshot" of data and needs;
needs are as of January 1, 2004, and all costs are in January 2004 dollars.
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Rhode Island
dean Watersheds Needs Survey 2004
The enactment of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972 resulted in dramatic improvements in the:
• Number of wastewater treatment plants.
• Percentage of the population served by wastewater treatment plants.
• Level of effluent treatment from wastewater treatment plants.
In 2004, 66% of Rhode Island residents received centralized wastewater treatment services at the secondary,
greater than secondary, or no discharge treatment level, compared to 12% in 1972.
Number of Centralized Treatment Facilities and Population Served
Treatment Level
Number of Facilities
1972 2004 Projected" 1972
Population Served
% Total % Total
Population Population
1972
2004
2004" Projected3
Less than Secondary
Secondary
Greater than Secondary
No Discharge
6
4
2
0
Q
0
18
2
0
m
0
15
6
0
73,000
45,000
62,000
0
21 180,000
7.9%
4.9%
6.7%
0%
19.4%
0
700,818
10,184
0
711,002
0%
64.9%
0.9%
0%
65.8%
0
596,673
196,658
0
793,331
a Number of facilities and population served if all needs documented in the CWNS 2004 are met.
b The remaining population is largely served by home and cluster sewage treatment systems.
(Number of facilities from Tables C-7 and C-8 of the CWNS 2004 Report to Congress)
What are treatment levels?
• Less than secondary treatment removes solids by filtration, sedimentation, and chemical coagulation.
• Secondary treatment removes most of the organic matter in wastewater using biological processes.
• Greater than secondary treatment removes additional organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, or toxics.
• No discharge facilities include facilities that reuse wastewater, discharge to an underground aquifer, or
dispose of wastewater via methods such as irrigation or evaporation.
The CWA goals of fishable, swimmable and drinkable waters require secondary or greater treatment.
Small communities often need additional assistance to meet CWA requirements, because they often lack
adequate financing, training, and economies of scale to efficiently manage and maintain wastewater treatment
systems.
In Rhode Island, small community
wastewater facilities serve 8% of the
population and comprise 8% of total
wastewater treatment and collection needs.
EPA small community support information
is available at:
www. epa. gov/owm/mab/smcomm
Reported Needs for Facilities in Small Communities
Population
Facilities
2000 2004
< 1,000
1,000-3,499
3,500-10,000
Needs (2004 Dollars, Millions)
2000 2004
$0
$2
$1
$0
$18
$76
Detailed Reports to Congress
Other state fact sheets
Maps, charts, and data downloads for watersheds, counties, congressional districts, states,
and regions
Office of Water, Office of Wastewater Management; 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. (Mailcode 4204M), Washington, DC 20460
EPA-XXX-X-XX-XXX; Month XX, 2007
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