FIRE BAN IN EFFECT In response to the continued elevated risk of wildfires, DEM has issued a fire ban at all State Parks, campgrounds, and management areas until further notice. The ban is effective as of today (10/28/24) and includes campfires in designated campfire areas, including charcoal fires and cooking fires. This preventative measure applies to all DEM-managed lands and aims to reduce the threat of human-caused wildfires. DEM will continue to monitor and evaluate conditions to determine when the ban can be lifted. Together we can protect our communities and keep first responders safe by reducing the risk of wildfires: 📞 Call 911 if you spot a fire/smoke. Timely information is critical to contain fires before they spread. 🔥 Remember, any outdoor fire is a potential source for a wildfire. Be careful with cigarettes and ashes. When disposing of wood stove ashes, put the ashes in a metal bucket of water. 🚒 Check with your local fire department for any other restrictions and permitting information. 🚨 Stay informed and find resources at dem.ri.gov/wildfirestatus.
Implications of Climate Change for RI Wastewater Collection & Treatment Infrastructure READ THE STUDY Implications of climate change for RI wastewater collection & treatment infrastructure VIEW COMMUNITY PROFILE DATA Learn more about the climate vulnerability for wastewater treatment facilities VIEW THE MAP View inland flooding data, coastal shoreline changes and download data for GIS systems STORMTOOLS INTERACTIVE MAPS A RI based sea level rise and storm surge projection map viewer developed by the RI Shoreline Change Special Area Management Plan (Beach SAMP). FLOOD CREWS OF 2010 Take a look at Rhode Island's 2010 floods through the lens of the state's wastewater collection and treatment operators. Prev Next Slide 1 Slide 2 Slide 3 Slide 4 Slide 5 In Rhode Island, as elsewhere, increasing storm intensities have damaged wastewater treatment plants and pump stations. It is expected that climate change will increase these threats. Our state is home to nineteen major wastewater treatment facilities which treat close to 120 million gallons of wastewater every day. Because water naturally flows downhill, many wastewater facilities and associated pump stations are at risk of inundation since their designs utilize low elevations, which are often riverine or coastal floodplains. About the Study The RI Department of Environmental Management, in collaboration with the state’s Office of Housing and Community Development, recognized the need to begin integrating climate change considerations into wastewater system planning and design. This study is a planning tool intended to help us all understand the projected implications of climate change on the state’s nineteen public wastewater treatment systems. It focused on the municipal treatment plants and the major pump stations that help bring flow to those treatment plants. It did not include wastewater infrastructure owned by private entities or onsite systems with subsurface disposal. The study was undertaken in five steps: Assess the potential for impacts to Rhode Island caused by natural hazards associated with climate change; Preliminarily assess climate change impacts to Rhode Island wastewater infrastructure; Refine the assessment and the risk of impacts on Rhode Island wastewater infrastructure; Develop recommendations for adaptive strategies; and Compile the work in a technical report; offer the data used in the study online at no cost; and provide summary outreach materials for local officials and the public. Additional Resources RI DEM Office of Water Resources: Design guidance for considering climate change NEIWPCC: TR-16 Guides for the Design of Wastewater Treatment Works NEIWPCC: Preparing for Extreme Weather at Wastewater Utilities: Strategies and Tips Inland/riverine flooding mapping and coastal changes Inland/riverine flooding data STORMTOOLS: Coastal mapping tool RI EMA: Floodplain Mapping Resources NOAA: Sea-Level Change Curve Calculator U.S. Army Corps of Engineering: “NACCS” study data (webpage may load slowly) US EPA: “Route to Resilience (RtoR) tool” for water and wastewater systems RI DEM Office of Water Resources: Low Impact Development Site Planning & Design Guidance for Communities RI DOH: SafeWater climate study of drinking systems Wastewater Treatment Facility Vulnerability Presentation (powerpoint) Profiles of Rhode Island Wastewater Systems Providence County Bucklin Point Burriville Cranston East Providence Fields Point Smithfield Woonsocket Kent County East Greenwich Warwick West Warwick Bristol County Bristol Warren Newport County Jamestown Newport Washington County Narragansett New Shoreham Quonset Point South Kingstown Westerly