Home / Water Division / NWD Capital Improvement Projects / Easton Pond Dam Resilience Project
PROJECT TYPE
Source Water and Dam Resilience
CURRENT PHASE
Preliminary Design and Permitting
ESTIMATED COST
$25 million (preliminary)
LEAD CONSULTANT
Fuss & O’Neill
Project Overview
The Easton Pond Dam Resilience Project will improve the flood resilience of the South Easton Pond Dam, which together with the North Easton Pond Dam impounds the Easton Ponds reservoir system. The Easton Ponds are critical fresh drinking water reservoirs serving the City of Newport and the Town of Middletown. The project will raise the South Easton Pond earthen embankment and armor the upstream face with articulated concrete blocks (ACB) to provide protection against wave attack, saltwater intrusion, and overtopping. The project also includes reconstruction of the South Pond Primary Spillway and installation of a crest gate at the spillway to prevent saltwater intrusion.
North and South Easton Ponds are formed by earthen embankments and are located in a low-lying coastal area, immediately landward of Easton Beach. The site is susceptible to saltwater intrusion and inland flooding. The Easton Ponds are part of a nine-reservoir interconnected system that serves approximately 35,000 year-round residents plus an increased seasonal population, Naval Station Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, and regional wholesale customers. The Easton Ponds system is the only public drinking water source on Aquidneck Island.
Why This Project Matters
The Easton Ponds system is the only public drinking water source on Aquidneck Island. Loss of this source to a major coastal storm would interrupt drinking water service to Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, Naval Station Newport, and regional wholesale customers, with no equivalent alternative supply available on the island.
This project mitigates risks from flooding, tropical and extratropical storms, dam failure, sea level rise, drought, and infrastructure failure. It directly responds to strategies and priorities identified in the City of Newport Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, the Town of Middletown Strategy for Reducing Risks from Hazards, and the 2024 Rhode Island State Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Scope of Work
- Raise the South Easton Pond earthen embankment
- Armor the upstream embankment face with articulated concrete blocks (ACB) for protection against wave attack, saltwater intrusion, and overtopping
- Reconstruct the South Pond Primary Spillway
- Install a crest gate at the spillway to prevent saltwater intrusion
Design basis. Design freeboard and crest elevation are set against the NOAA Intermediate High sea level rise scenario combined with Category 3 storm surge, consistent with the 2019 Climate Resiliency Assessment.
Funding and Cost
The preliminary estimated project cost is $25 million. The Newport Water Division is pursuing 75% federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, administered in Rhode Island by the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA). For grant administration purposes, the project is formally titled the South Easton Pond Dam Flood Resilience Project in the BRIC application.
The 25% non-federal match will be funded through the Newport Water Division enterprise fund, supported by bond authorization through the Newport City Council. The source of repayment is water rates. The Newport Water Division operates as an enterprise fund, separate from the City’s general budget; water rates are paid only by water customers and are not collected through taxes.
The estimated project cost and funding split are preliminary and will be refined through final design, federal benefit-cost analysis, and grant award. FEMA and RIEMA funding is provided on a reimbursement basis.
Schedule and Current Status
- 2019: Climate Resiliency Assessment Technical Memorandum completed, including hydrologic and hydraulic modeling for inland and coastal flooding and four design alternatives
- 2023: Conceptual Design Report completed, defining the proposed plan for the dam
- 2026 (current): Preliminary design and permitting underway; Notice of Interest submitted to RIEMA for FEMA BRIC grant funding
- Next: Final design, parallel permitting tracks, federal grant application, and construction
The project is planned for completion within three years of notice to proceed, including preliminary design, parallel permitting, and an 18-month construction window.
Permitting and Environmental Review
The project will be advanced through coordinated reviews with the following agencies:
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) Dam Safety
- RIDEM Freshwater Wetlands
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) Section 404
- Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC)
- Rhode Island State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Section 106 consultation
Environmental, permitting, and cultural resource review will be advanced through preliminary and final design. No fatal flaws have been identified to date.
Hazards This Project Mitigates
- Flood
- Tropical and extratropical storms
- Dam failure
- Sea level rise
- Drought
- Infrastructure failure
What This Means for the Public
The current preliminary design and permitting phase does not affect drinking water service or daily operations at the Easton Ponds. Construction-phase impacts will be communicated to the public as construction approaches, including any temporary changes to site access, traffic patterns, or recreational use of the surrounding area.
Long term, the project strengthens the Newport Water Division’s ability to deliver safe drinking water through more frequent and severe coastal storms and sea level rise, protecting every ratepayer and wholesale customer who depends on the Easton Ponds source.
Project Partners
- Lead consultant: Fuss & O’Neill
- Federal funding partner: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program
- State grant administrator: Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA)
- State regulatory agencies: RIDEM Dam Safety, RIDEM Freshwater Wetlands, CRMC, SHPO
- Federal regulatory agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Section 404)
- Community partners: Town of Middletown (served by the Easton Ponds source), Naval Station Newport, Portsmouth Water and Fire District
- City of Newport: Newport Water Division, Department of Utilities
This page summarizes a long-term capital project. Information is updated as design, permitting, and grant milestones are reached. For questions, please contact the Newport Department of Utilities at 401-845-5600.
