Rhode Island Wastewater Treatment Plants Host Open Houses in Honor of Clean Water Week

What better way to celebrate Clean Water Week than by getting up close and personal with sewage?

The Rhode Island Clean Water Association is hosting a series of open houses at five local wastewater treatment plans starting Tuesday. The public events aim to promote awareness and understanding of the typically closed-door process responsible for turning wastewater into clean water, able to be discharged without environmental or human health consequences.

“This is some major infrastructure that is hidden in plain sight and taken for granted,” Peter Connell, president of the Clean Water Association, said in a statement. “You really need to see the process to appreciate what happens after you flush the toilet.”

Rhode Island’s 19 treatment plants, known as water resource recovery facilities, process more than 120 million gallons of wastewater each day, ensuring that the water returned to the environment is clean and safe. All facilities are permitted and inspected by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for compliance with state environmental regulations.

Open house dates and locations are:

• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, at the Bristol Wastewater Treatment Facility at 2 Plant St., Bristol
• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, at the Newport Wastewater Treatment Facility at JT Connell Highway, Newport
• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, at the Quonset Point Wastewater Treatment Facility at 150 Zarbo Ave., North Kingstown
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Fields Point Wastewater Treatment Facility at 2 Ernest St., Providence
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Warwick Wastewater Treatment Facility at 125 Arthur W. Devine Boulevard, Warwick (rain date, April 19)

Tours will be offered throughout the designated time frames and last 45 minutes. Visitors are asked to avoid wearing open-toed or high-heeled shoes or flip-flops.

More information is available on the Rhode Island Clean Water Association website.

This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.