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 an RFQ for a stormwater and sewer assessment. The City selected consultant Raftelis to complete an assessment of the City’s existing and future stormwater, sanitary sewer, and combined sewer collection systems’ operations and management and their costs. With that assessment, the consultant Raftelis developed an equitable and sustainable funding plan with consideration of the City’s economically disadvantaged population, and an administrative framework for implementation of the funding plan.
The assessment also includes input from a Task Force, comprised of individuals from several key stakeholder groups that represent a wide set of interests, who completed a rigorous eight-month process to help address critical stormwater and sewer infrastructure needs and improve all of our neighborhoods’ resilience to climate change. The Task Force reviewed the City’s existing stormwater and sewer infrastructure management programs and challenges, the legal and enforcement context of the City’s programs, the existing budget and the amount needed to develop effective stormwater and sewer programs, and the potential mechanisms for the City to equitably and adequately fund stormwater and sewer management.
The findings of the Sustainable Stormwater and Sewer Assessment Report conducted by Raftelis are scheduled to be released in July 2025. The final Report will provide information about the funding and financing options to meet the City’s operational and capital needs to ensure optimal functioning of the sewer collection and stormwater infrastructure and bring the City into compliance with environmental laws. The recommended work will also include capital improvement projects that address water quality and flooding concerns and build the City’s resilience to changing weather patterns and sea level rise.
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 focus on its stormwater infrastructure planning, and during participation, the Stormwater Project Management team and Stormwater Task Force will collaborate on the track to better prepare recommendations for the City Council and the 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.