Aquidneck Island Comprehensive Water Quality Plan

Fuss & O’Neill is working with the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission to design and construct a series of Best Management Practices (BMPs) throughout Aquidneck Island. The project focuses on improving the quality of stormwater runoff that enters public water supplies throughout the island.

The initial stage of the project focused on developing a prioritization matrix of potential projects. The matrix considered multiple variables at each site to identify priority projects. The tool streamlined the process for selecting BMPs that would yield the greatest overall benefit to Aquidneck Island. The initial list comprised more than 100 potential BMP projects throughout Portsmouth, Middletown, and Newport.

Variables included stormwater monitoring results, estimated pollutant loads, target load reductions, opportunity for innovation/education, cost/benefit ratios, availability of land, and future maintenance requirements.

Fuss & O’Neill is currently designing two phases of the project. One phase converts three existing stormwater basins into Wet Vegetated Treatment Systems. The basins serve residential neighborhoods in Portsmouth and Middletown. The other phase establishes BMPs that treat runoff from agricultural uses. These BMPs include filter berms, bioreactors, and buffers throughout Portsmouth and Middletown.