Newport and Middletown Residents Speak Out on Stormwater Diffuser

On Tuesday evening, the Coastal Resources Management Council held a public forum at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) for residents to weigh-in on Middletown's stormwater project, to redirect discharge near Atlantic Beach to a new outfall 1,000 feet south and extended 500 feet into Easton Bay.

On August 3, the Middletown Town Council awarded a $3.3 million construction contract to C.B. Utility to perform the work.The goal of the project is to push pollutants away from the shallow swimming areas and futher into the deeper bay, so the bacteria will naturally diffuse and filter to safer limits by the time it arrives back to the beach.

In the spring, the City of Newport completed a project with the same goal for Newport storm water - the . The plant funnels the water through UV lights, which kills the bacteria before it enters the stream. Initial sampling of the plant after rain events have indicated positive results.

This past June, Newport resident Darryl Paquette attended the on Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) issues, and was surprised to find how much Middletown contributed to the bacterial contamination problem into Easton Bay. He attended Tuesday's forum to learn about Middletown's proposed solution. 

“I have no doubt of the validation of the Clean Ocean Access test results, and that a large part of the problem comes from Middletown,” said Paquette.
David McLaughlin from Clean Ocean Access said that the project’s effort to improve water quality issues at Easton’s Beach may adversely impact water quality at Easton’s Point. Clean Ocean Access has conducted weekly testing of the water at Easton’s Point since 2008.

Herb Armstrong, chair of the Newport Beach Commission shared concerns that the piped redirection project will worsen the seaweed issue. The beach has been using a seaweed harvester to battle the issue, which already picks up 12 tons of seaweed daily.

“It will put the pollutants further away from shore and probably reduce the bacteria counts on the beach. But I'm less concerned with the pollution issue than that it will most likely provide a rich source of nutrient to the seaweed beds out in the bay and therefore work against all our efforts to reduce the seaweed problem,” he wrote in an email Wednesday morning.

Armstrong said he would also like to see more Newport and Middletown, council-to-council communication on the project.

Kevin Burke from Middletown said he swims at the beach every morning.  

“I live at ground zero of the outflow pipe...I’m very hopeful this will work out,” said Burke before the meeting.  He requested that the town carefully monitor the project to ensure the project is successful. 

Another resident, Paul Lemont, agreed. Lemont said he would like evidence and data that the project will reduce pollutants before money is spent on the project. 

Burke expressed frustration the meeting started nearly an hour late, and the residents who left were unable to express concerns or ask questions to the council.  

“It’s unforgivable,” he said.