Petition to Establish a Temporary Sewer Connection Moratorium in Narragansett, RI

For the Scarborough Sewer Treatment Plant and the Regional Sewer Treatment Plant
To: Narragansett Town Council
Date of Petition Circulation: August 12, 2025

Purpose

We, the undersigned residents of Narragansett, respectfully request that the Town Council enact an immediate temporary moratorium on all new sewer connections to the Scarborough and Regional Sewer Treatment Plants.

Background & Rationale

Residents have raised serious concerns that Narragansett’s sewer infrastructure—particularly the Scarborough Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF)—is operating at or above capacity, threatening both the environment and community quality of life.

At the public hearing on August 4, 2025, residents overwhelmingly supported a temporary moratorium. This request builds on consistent public input from recent council meetings:

• The Scarborough WWTF is already emitting foul odors into surrounding neighborhoods. These odors—especially prominent in summer—have significantly degraded the quality of life for nearby residents.
• The Town’s own Wastewater Facilities Plan Update (May 2023) confirms these concerns. It documents that the Scarborough WWTF:
  • Experiences hydraulic overloading during wet weather events, exceeding its design capacity and placing the system at risk of violations (WFP, p. 5-6)
  • Is the subject of frequent odor complaints, especially due to aging sludge handling systems and inadequate air treatment ([WFP, p. 8-1, 8-4])
  • Has equipment that is past its useful life, requiring extensive upgrades ([WFP, p. 8-2])
• While a new Scarborough treatment plant is proposed, the planning, funding, permitting, and construction process is expected to take several years to complete ([WFP, p. 11-1 to 11-3]).
• At the April 7, 2025 council meeting, residents warned that recent zoning amendments could further overload utility systems by enabling dense development, multi-bedroom student housing, and oversized construction on undersized lots.
• At the June 16, 2025 meeting, a resident proposed increasing the long-neglected sewer lot development fee to reflect the true cost of new connections and fund infrastructure improvements.

Why a Moratorium Is Necessary

• Prevent Infrastructure Overload: The Scarborough WWTF is already experiencing operational stress, foul odors, and capacity issues. Adding new sewer connections would exacerbate these problems.
• Protect Quality of Life: The odor issues impacting neighborhoods near the Scarborough plant represent an ongoing harm to residents, not a hypothetical future risk.
• Allow for Proper Planning and Investment: A moratorium provides time to assess current conditions, implement system upgrades, and develop a modernized treatment facility.
• Supported by the Town’s Own Wastewater Facilities Plan: The 2023 WFP Update outlines capacity challenges, odor complaints, and long-term infrastructure timelines—directly validating the need for a pause.
• Reflect Community Consensus: Residents have spoken at multiple public meetings. A temporary halt in new sewer connections aligns with the clearly expressed will of the community.

Requested Actions

We urge the Narragansett Town Council to:

1. Adopt a temporary moratorium on all new residential and commercial sewer connections—particularly to the Scarborough WWTF—until existing capacity and infrastructure concerns are resolved.
2. Reevaluate and update the sewer lot development fee to accurately reflect the cost of infrastructure maintenance and expansion.