The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA)
program accelerates investment in our nation's water
infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental
loans for regionally and nationally significant projects.

COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW PHASE III FACILITIES

BORROWER: Narragansett Bay Commission
LOCATION: Providence, Rl

WIFIA LOAN AMOUNTS: $268.7 million
TOTAL WIFIA PROJECT COSTS: $548.4 million
POPULATION SERVED BY PROJECT: 360,000
NUMBER OF JOBS CREATED: 1,755 jobs

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Combined Sewer Overflow Phase III Facilities project will construct infrastructure to contain
combined sewer flows during wet weather events and then return the stored flows to the
wastewater facility for treatment. During heavy storms, these combined flows frequently
exceed the capacity of the sewer system and overflow into local rivers and Narragansett Bay.
Combined sewer overflows carry pollutants such as sewage solids, metals, oil, grease and
bacteria which impact the health of those who swim in polluted water or eat contaminated
shellfish. The Phase III Facilities project includes construction of a long deep rock tunnel, two
work shafts, four drop shafts, a tunnel pump station, and several improvements to the
wastewater collection system. Approximately 60 billion gallons of combined water and
wastewater that would have gone straight into Narragansett Bay will be treated at the Bucklin
Point Wastewater Treatment Facility each year.

PROJECT BENEFITS

•	Protects water quality by reducing the amount of combined sewer overflow discharged
into Narragansett Bay.

•	Achieve an 80% reduction in shellfish bed enclosures.

•	Contributes to compliance with the Combined Sewer Overflow Consent Agreement with
the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

•	Saves Narrangsett Bay Commission's ratepayers $99.6 million by financing the project
with a WIFIA loan.

•	Re-execution of the WIFIA loan in 2020 saves Narragansett ratepayers an additional $43
million.

WIFIA

PROGRAM

Bucklin Point Wastewater Treatment Facility

£%	United States

Environmental Protection
kl m % Agency

WEBSITE: www.epa.gov/wifia
EMAiL: wifia@EPA.gov


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