Stormwater
DPW Stormwater Management Projects
The City of Providence’s Department of Public Works (DPW) is actively engaged in a series of stormwater management projects aimed at enhancing the city’s resilience to flooding and improving water quality. Led by the DPW, a hydrologic and hydraulic study of Pleasant Valley Parkway has been initiated with an allocation of $112,700, complemented by a $12,000 investment in stream dredging at the same location. Additionally, FY24 overtime costs associated with flood mitigation and stormwater management work amount to $21,608. Additionally, the city is making significant investments in Total Maximum Daily Load Implementation Plans for four Providence watersheds, including the Woonasquatucket and West Rivers, along with the cleaning and inspection of 1800 catch basins within these watersheds, funded by $699,900 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and $400,000 from the city budget. The DPW is also conducting sewer cleaning and assessment activities, with a budget of $1,300,000, targeting the removal of grit, grease, and potential causes for backups, as well as identifying locations for reactive and proactive repairs. The department is also allocating $160,000 to Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination efforts, aligning with the requirements of the RIPDES Consent Agreement to detect and remove potential illicit discharges to the stormwater sewer system. These comprehensive initiatives underscore the city’s commitment to managing stormwater effectively and safeguarding its natural resources for the benefit of all residents.
Providence Sustainable Stormwater and Sewer Assessment Study
In October 2023, the City released a RFQ for a stormwater and sewer assessment and as part of the RFQ, the consultant will assess City’s existing and future stormwater and sanitary sewer systems’ operations and management of their costs. The priority will be for capital improvement projects to be implemented on a prioritized basis to repair/replace aging infrastructure, address water quality and flooding concerns, and build the City’s resilience to changing weather patterns and sea level rise. In January 2024, the bid was awarded to Raftelis Financial Consultants. The set completion date of this assessment will be January 2025.
Harvard Bloomberg Collaboration Track
The City will be taking part in the Harvard Bloomberg Collaboration Track, a 6-month intensive stakeholder engagement and training to inform strategies toward investing in infrastructure, updating policies and practices, and generating the resources and revenue to make Providence climate ready. The City will be focusing on its stormwater infrastructure planning and during participation, the Stormwater Project Management team and Stormwater Task Force will both take part in collaboration track to better prepare recommendations to City Council and State Legislature.
SNEP SOAR Flooding Solutions Grant
The City of Providence was awarded the SNEP SOAR Flooding Solutions Grant, totaling $300,000, to advance its efforts in understanding urban flooding and implementing community-driven solutions. This grant will facilitate a multifaceted approach to address the challenges faced by disadvantaged communities disproportionately affected by recent flash flooding events. The city will be engaging a contractor to undertake several critical tasks, including conducting an urban flooding mapping analysis of these vulnerable neighborhoods, reviewing existing studies on flooding and recommending mitigation strategies (with a focus on areas like the Woonasquatucket River watershed, West River, and Pleasant Valley Parkway), collaborating with community organizations to host neighborhood meetings for gathering residents’ insights on building a flood-resilient city, and ultimately presenting a comprehensive, prioritized plan for urban flood mitigation. Through this initiative, the City of Providence is committed to fostering community involvement and resilience in tackling urban flooding.