DEM, RI Infrastructure Bank announce grants to strengthen resilience of wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank (RIIB) announced today that $5 million in matching grants is available for wastewater treatment facility resilience projects. A Request for Proposals (RFP) is now open, with a deadline of January 30, 2020, for projects that protect publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities from storm surge, winds, and other natural hazards that are expected to increase in frequency and severity due to climate change. Funding will be provided through the 2018 Green Economy and Clean Water Bond, which Rhode Island voters approved by a margin of almost 80 percent last November.
“Strengthening the resilience of our public wastewater treatment facilities is critically important, given a changing climate that will continue to bring more intense storms and increased rainfall to our area,” said DEM Director Janet Coit. “Thanks to the Green Economy and Clean Water Bond fund, we’re investing in our state’s wastewater infrastructure to help ensure a more resilient Rhode Island today and in the future.”