Money, Jobs Could Flow Through New Sewer Line

Installing a new sewer line does much more than keep the streets clean, according to Mayor Joseph Polisena. It could mean millions for the town and jobs for residents.

The Narragansett Bay Commission met at the Johnston Senior Center Tuesday night to discuss the town's facilities plan, specifically Rhode Island Resource Recovery's plan to build a new sewer line long Central Avenue, which would encourage further devlopment in the area, and allow residents in the area to connect to the new line.

The key to the project is the money at stake, Polisena said.

"My concern if this doesn't go through is that it's going to stop a lot of progress and a lot of jobs," the mayor said. "I don't have to tell anyone in here that there are a lot of Rhode Islanders out of work. There's no doubt about it."

Polisena described three major projects that are depending on sewer lines being added, including a $30 million metal processing factory, a $15 million facility for Orbit Energy, and a power plant, exected to cost upwards of $200 million, that will provide many jobs in town, the mayor said

"A $200-million project is coming in, and that's the new power plant, and without the sewer line, I don't think it would come to fruition," Polisena said.

Thomas Brueckner, Engineering Manager at the commission, said the new facilities plan was a result of the town wanting to add sewer lines west of 295, which was not part of the last facilities plan, completed in the 1990s. Rhode Island Resource Recovery has requested a tie-in with the Johnston sewer system because of "some current issues with their tie-in with the city of Cranston.

"We met with them and basically signed an agreement saying that we would take their flows, provided that DEM would approve us taking their flows and that they would pretreat their wastewater to any level we prescribed in order to meet our limits, which they agreed to do," said Brueckner.

Rhode Island Resource Recovery would pay for the sewer line, as well as road resurfacing. Residents wouldn't pay anything, unless they decide to connect to the sewer. If they do, they'll be resonsible for the cost of the line from their foundation to the street.

Town Councilman Ernest Pitochelli, whose district includes the area in question, said there would be no cost to home owners who don't want to tie in to the system.

"You don't have to tie-in. It costs nothing to go into the ground," Pitochelli said.

The deadline for public comment on the proposed facilities plan will remain opened until Sept. 2 at 4 p.m.