SITING OF A WATER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY AT JAMESTOWN, RHODE ISLAND1

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The town of Jamestown, Rhode Island, located on Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay, is constructing a secondary treatment plant in order to comply with NPDES regulations. Twelve candidate sites for the plant and marine outfall were initially proposed, and ability to meet State water quality standards at these sites was evaluated using an EPA buoyant plume model. A final outfall site, Taylor Point, was selected by the Town from among the sites considered acceptable. Taylor Point was then subjected to field hydrographic studies including drogue tracking, current recordings, and tracer dye surveys. Results of the measurement program served as input to a two‐dimensional effluent dispersion model which predicted excess BOD, coliform, and suspended solids resulting from effluent discharge off Taylor Point. The model predictions demonstrated that State water quality standards can be maintained outside the initial discharge plume.