Protecting Public Health and the Environment
The Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) is a vital part of Newport’s infrastructure. It protects public health and the environment by removing harmful bacteria and pollutants from wastewater before it is safely released into Narragansett Bay. Remarkably, the water discharged from the plant is actually cleaner than the untreated water drawn from our drinking water reservoirs before it enters the Newport Water Division’s treatment facilities.
The WPCP serves:
- City of Newport
- Town of Middletown
- Naval Station Newport
- Naval Undersea Warfare Center
- Town of Portsmouth (septic & holding tank collection industries)
The plant is operated by Veolia, a professional wastewater management company under contract with the Department of Utilities.
Capacity & performance
- Average Flow: 11.7 million gallons per day (MGD)
- Peak Capacity: Over 30 MGD
- Population Served (year-round): 41,000+
- Population Served (peak season): 100,000+
The WPCP consistently meets or exceeds Rhode Island Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (RIPDES) permit standards, ensuring the highest level of environmental protection.
The Treatment Process
History & Modernization of the water pollution control plant
Since opening, the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) has reflected Newport’s ongoing commitment to protecting public health and the environment. Over the decades, changing environmental standards and technological advancements have driven several modernization and enhancement projects to ensure the facility continues to meet the highest performance and compliance standards.
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The Early Years
The original WPCP was constructed in 1955, utilizing Imhoff Cone technology for primary treatment, removing solids and allowing cleaner effluent to be discharged. It was designed to serve wastewater needs for the City of Newport, Town of Middletown, and portions of Naval Station Newport. Before the WPCP was constructed, wastewater from homes, businesses, and industries flowed directly into local streams, drainage channels, and Narragansett Bay without treatment.
1980s-1990s Upgrades
By the mid-1980s, the facility required significant improvements to meet evolving environmental regulations. In 1986, following strong advocacy from WPC and support from Save the Bay, Newport voters approved a $4 million sewer bond to fund major plant upgrades. Construction began the same year and was completed in 1991, introducing enhanced primary treatment and adding secondary treatment technology to meet Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (PDES) limits for conventional pollutants. Secondary treatment goes goes beyond simply removing solids (which happens during primary treatment) to actually remove dissolved and organic matter that can harm the environment.
2016-2019 Modernization Project
From 2016 to 2019, the WPCP underwent its most substantial transformation to date, a $50 million upgrade aimed at increasing capacity, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing effluent quality. The project was financed through a low-interest loan from the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, an initiative led by Representative Magaziner to promote sustainable infrastructure investment.
The upgrades were specifically designed to address wet weather flows and reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs), in accordance with the mandated consent decree with the EPA and RIDEM. Key improvements included:
- Increasing treatment capacity from 19 MGD to over 30 MGD, enabling the plant to better manage extreme weather events (stormwater still flows through the plant as a result of remaining combined sewer/stormwater components in the system).
- Implementing chemically enhanced primary treatment for improved pollutant removal.
- Installing biofilters and upgraded solids management systems to minimize odors and improve air quality.
- Adding a UV disinfection system to eliminate harmful bacteria without the use of chemicals.
- Installing 790 solar panels generating approximately 328,000 kWh per year (making the WPCP home to Newport’s largest solar array).
Our ongoing modernization ensures continued protection of local waterways and the community’s well-being.
