WARWICK, RI – Modernizing local water systems and improving water infrastructure isn’t always glamorous, but it’s a critical investment in public health, environmental protection, and community development.
In an effort to upgrade Warwick’s wastewater treatment facilities, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse teamed up to secure a $1.5 million federal earmark to modernize the Warwick Sewer Authority’s (WSA) equipment that provides round-the-clock monitoring of the city’s wastewater treatment facility’s operations and forty-nine remote pumping stations. The new, integrated technology replaces an obsolete system that has passed its useful life and can no longer be fixed with replacement parts.
Today, Senators Reed and Whitehouse joined Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi and WSA Executive Director, Betty Anne Rogers, to celebrate the $1.5 million in federal funds that Reed and Whitehouse secured to replace the city’s entire system of SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) equipment.
Warwick’s new SCADA network will help ensure continuous monitoring of the wastewater treatment facility’s operations and uninterrupted conveyance of Warwick residents’ and businesses’ wastewater to the treatment facility while also protecting the water quality surrounding the city’s thirty-nine miles of coast line.
“This is a strategic investment to ensure cleaner water and a cleaner environment. These improvements to Warwick’s sewer system will help protect the health and safety of residents, businesses, and the community,” said Senator Reed.
“Investments in infrastructure are investments in Rhode Island’s immediate and long-term success,” said Senator Whitehouse. “I am pleased to help secure this funding to modernize Warwick’s wastewater system, which will protect public health and keep Narragansett Bay clean.”
“I want to thank Senator Reed and Senator Whitehouse once again for helping to secure this federal earmark which will not only improve Warwick’s infrastructure and wastewater system, but keep our residents healthy,” said Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi.
“On behalf of the WSA, I would like to extend our deepest appreciation and gratitude to Senator Reed and Senator Whitehouse who continue to advocate for funding City infrastructure projects,” said WSA Executive Director, Betty Anne Rogers. “Their tireless efforts will allow us to make the critical SCADA project a 2023 reality.”
Last year, Reed and Whitehouse helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It’s delivering the largest investment in water infrastructure in American history, including $377 million in up-front federal funding for Rhode Island that will be leveraged for millions more over the next five years.
The Warwick Sewer Authority was created in 1962. Today, there are nearly 400 miles of sanitary sewer lines and 49 sewage pump stations within the City used to convey wastewater.
