What are Capital Improvement Projects?
The Water Pollution Control Division (WPC) oversees Newport’s sanitary sewer and stormwater systems and manages an ongoing Capital Improvement Program (CIP). These projects focus on repairing, upgrading, and modernizing critical infrastructure to address Newport’s aging systems and meet the changing needs of the community.
Newport’s original system dates back to the 1870s, it was designed as a combined system carrying both sewage and stormwater. It was not until the 1970s that WPC began separating these systems and installing dedicated stormwater infrastructure as part of a long-term seperations effort.
How are Projects Funded?
WPC operates as an enterprise fund, meaning it manages its own finances separately from the City’s general budget. Routine operations are funded through sewer rates, which are collected via customers’ water bills, not through taxes. In contrast, Capital Improvement Projects are typically financed through a combination of sewer rates, State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans, bonds, and/or grant awards.
WPC operates as an enterprise fund, meaning it manages its own finances separately from the City’s general budget. Routine operations are funded through sewer rates, which are collected via customers’ water bills, not through taxes. In contrast, Capital Improvement Projects are typically financed through a combination of sewer rates, State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans, bonds, and/or grant awards.
While the Division works diligently to secure outside funding, available grants and loans are insufficient to cover all project needs across both systems. Additionally, the current CIP list in the annual budget does not capture all critical large-scale projects, as new needs arise regularly based on system conditions and performance assessments.
Program Goals
- Rehabilitate and modernize aging sewer and stormwater infrastructure
- Prevent overflows, backups, and flooding
- Comply with state and federal environmental regulations
- Protect local waterways and coastal ecosystems, including Narragansett Bay
- Increase system capacity, climate resilience, and operational reliability
- Reduce high emergency repair and long-term operational costs through strategic investment
Through its CIP Program, WPC is making forward-thinking, cost-effective improvements to ensure Newport’s WPC systems remain safe, sustainable, and service-ready today and for future generations.
Coming Soon: Explore our capital improvement projects: past, present, and future, through a new interactive map designed to keep our community informed!