Wastewater

The Water Pollution Control Division operates as an enterprise fund and is responsible for its own financial accounting independent of the overall City budget.  In July 2016, the City entered into a service agreement with Newport Water Services to operate and maintain the wastewater treatment facilities, two CSO facilities, several sewer pump stations, and the UV storm water disinfection system.  Newport Water Services also implements the City's Industrial Pretreatment Program.

As of July 2017, the sanitary sewer collection system and the storm drainage system are operated by staff from the Department of Utilities, Water Pollution Control Division.  The City owns and operates approximately 97 miles of gravity and force main sewer collection pipe delivering domestic, commercial, and industrial waste to a Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) on JT Connell Highway. In addition to the sewer collection pipes, the City also owns and operates 15 sanitary pump stations to assist in conveying flows to the WPCP for treatment.  The City also receives waste water flow from the Town of Middletown, flow from Naval Station Newport, and flow from privately owned and operated sanitary collection systems primarily located in the Newport Neck area. 

During dry weather, sanitary sewer flows are conveyed to the Newport WPCP.  All dry weather flows receive secondary treatment and disinfection at the WPCP prior to discharge into Newport Harbor.  During wet weather, despite the sewer separation projects that have been completed, large quantities of stormwater enter the Newport combined sewer system and can overload the system. Relief points in the system divert the excess flow and allow it to discharge to Newport Harbor.  These discharges are called Combined Sewer Overlfows (CSOs).  Newport currently has two permitted CSO outfalls, each served by a CSO treatment facility that provides partial treatment and disinfection prior to discharge to the harbor.  To learn more about what the City is doing to reduce CSOs please visit the CSO Control Program page.  

In addition to the operation and maintenance of the sanitary and combined sewer system, the City is also responsible for the operation and maintenance of the storm drainage system.  Stormwater runoff is collected in a system of catch basins and directed through a network of pipes and swales to one of the 50 outfalls.  At Easton's Pond Dam and Moat the City operates an ultraviolet light (UV) disinfection system to reduce bacteria loading from the moat prior to the outfall at Easton's Beach.  To learn more about the City's stormwater program please visit our Storm Drainage page.