Politics & Government

Council Contemplates Extending Sewers To Wickford, Post Road North

The price tag for each is estimated at $10 million.

This story was amended on Aug. 8 at 6 p.m.

On Monday, Aug. 5, the Town Council got an extensive report on three aspects of bringing sewers to North Kingstown. This is the first of three articles on the issues discussed. On Thursday and Friday, there will be articles on sewer assessment recommendations for the recently completed Post Road sewer line, and on the different proposals to connect the Shore Acres neighborhood to the Post Road sewer line.

To bring a sewer line into Wickford, it will cost around $10 million, engineering consultant Jim Geremia told the Town Council Monday, Aug. 5. He estimated it would cost the same amount – $10 million – to bring the sewer line to Post Road north. 

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Geremia presented three different types of sewers, but recommended "low-pressure" sewers, which carried that $10 million price tag. Gravity and vacuum sewers carried higher price tags. 

The proposals come as the first and second phases of installing a main sewer line under Post Road are now completed, at a cost of $10 million and $5 million respectively. (An additional $4.2 million was bonded to pay for providing sewers to neighborhoods such as Shore Acres and has not yet been spent.)

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The issue for the Town Council, beyond types of sewers, is just how much money the voters would be willing to spend on sewers at all. Council President Liz Dolan, in an interview Wednesday, said she could imagine putting four options on a ballot: 

  • Spend $20 million and do both sewer lines
  • Spend $10 million and just do Wickford
  • Spend $10 million and just do Post Road north
  • Spend no money on sewers

"In a perfect world we would do both," said Dolan, referring to sewers for Wickford and Post Road north. Alluding to the fine line the council may need to tread, Dolan added, "We don't want to ask the voters for $20 million and be turned down."

At issue is the potential for commercial and residential growth on and around Post Road and commercial development in Wickford. Bringing sewers to Post Road (the proposal would extend the sewer line to just north of School Street) would allow for more density and new business, both considered economic development objectives for that area. 

The Wickford line would go down the length of Main Street, cross at Brown Street and travel up Phillips Street to Tower Hill Road. Wickford Village is the opposite of Post Road north, density-wise, but sewers would allow for more varied commercial uses.

Dolan spoke of a woman who had been interested in opening up a hair salon in Wickford. The woman talked to the Dept. of Environmental Management and they said no – the waste water would be too great. Sewers could ease the way for businesses like hers, restaurants, even a laundry. 

If the Town Council decides it would like to put sewers up for a vote, Dolan said a special election could be held next spring, or they could just wait until the general election in November 2014. 

If sewers are built, property owners would have one year to tie into the sewer line, as the law stands now.

At Monday's meeting, Dolan wondered if sewers for Wickford, in particular, were such a wise idea, considering the expense, if state-of-the-art septic systems were available. Just such a septic system has been proposed for the hotel–conference center planned for the old Wickford Elementary School building on Phillips Street.

The meeting Monday was a presentation only, with no place for public testimony, which Dolan said would be welcome when the issue is presented at a public hearing.


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