MS4 Program Overview
The Water Pollution Control Division (WPC) operates a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) under the Rhode Island Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (RIPDES) Phase II Small MS4 General Permit. This program is part of a statewide effort led by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect waterways from polluted stormwater runoff.
Stormwater runoff (rain or snow melt that flows over rooftops, streets, and parking lots) can carry pollutants directly into local streams, ponds, and Narragansett Bay. Unlike wastewater, stormwater is not treated before it enters waterways. Storm drains and outfalls lead directly to local waters. With the exception of the UV Disinfection Treatment System at the Easton’s Beach outfall, there are no filters and no treatment. Managing it properly is essential to protecting public health, preventing flooding, and improving water quality.
Program Elements
Newport’s Stormwater Management Program includes the six minimum control measures required of small MS4s under the EPA Phase II Stormwater Rule:
These six elements correspond to the minimum control measures required of small MS4s under the EPA Phase II Stormwater Rule (40 CFR 122.34) and the RIPDES MS4 General Permit administered by RIDEM.
MS4 Annual Reports
Each year, WPC reports its progress through a publicly available Annual Report to RIDEM. In 2026, WPC issued a Public Notice for the Draft 2025 MS4 Annual Report. No public comments were received, and the final report was submitted to RIDEM by the March 10, 2026 deadline. The City continues to enhance its program through proactive maintenance, public education, and stormwater infrastructure improvements.
Why It Matters
Stormwater runoff is now Newport’s primary water quality challenge. As it flows across impervious surfaces such as rooftops, roads, and driveways, it picks up pollutants like fertilizers, pet waste, detergents, and yard debris. These pollutants travel through storm drains directly to local waters without treatment.
This runoff contributes to the impairment of local waterbodies, including Newport’s drinking water supply reservoirs. According to RIDEM’s 2021 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Report, urban and residential runoff is the largest source of pollutants for six of the nine reservoirs in Newport’s system.
Effective stormwater management is one of the City’s most important pathways for protecting water quality, the environment, and the community. It provides multiple benefits including:
An Integrated Approach to Water Management
With major Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) projects substantially complete and mandated regulatory requirements fulfilled, WPC has shifted focus to stormwater as the next priority for clean water protection. The Department applies an integrated approach to water management that addresses CSO compliance, stormwater pollution control, flood mitigation, and climate resilience as connected challenges rather than separate programs.
Integrated infrastructure upgrades, capital investment, long term planning, and community engagement support this strategy.
Funding for this integrated work is the subject of the current rate study, which proposes a dedicated stormwater fee. See the Rate Study and Fees page for details.
How Can You Help?
Local businesses and residents can implement solutions to reduce pollution and the impacts of polluted stormwater runoff on local waters.
Practice Pollution Reduction Habits at Home
Build A Green Solution
To reduce the volume of runoff that degrades the water quality of local waters and causes flooding in neighborhoods, the City needs to reduce the amount of impervious surfaces draining into the storm sewer system. Every time impervious surfaces are added, the risks of degraded water quality and flooding increase. Even small additions, such as a driveway expansion, new walkway, or patio, when added across the watershed, have a substantial flooding impact.
Green Solutions use landscaped elements to disconnect impervious surfaces from drainage systems. These landscape design approaches collect runoff from hard surfaces and either infiltrate it into the ground or reuse it as water for plants. Green solutions that fit Newport neighborhoods include:
- Downspout disconnection
- Paved surface disconnection
- Rain barrel
- Rain garden
- Vegetated swale
- Dry well
- Permeable pavers
- Infiltration trench
WPC’s Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater Management details which green solutions would be most effective on a property and how to build and install them.
Adopt a Catch Basin
With more than 3,000 catch basins throughout the City, WPC’s stormwater system requires constant attention. Keeping catch basins clear is critical to ensuring the system works efficiently during storm events. Free flowing catch basins prevent rainwater from ponding on City streets and minimize the pollutants entering local waterways such as Newport Harbor. Residents and business owners can adopt a local catch basin and help keep the surface free of debris.
Here’s how you can help:
If the drain is still clogged after surface debris is removed, please call the Department of Utilities and staff will investigate further to correct any defect.
