The Newport Water Division maintains a system of seven interconnected surface water reservoirs that collect and store stormwater runoff and infiltrating groundwater on Aquidneck Island. These reservoirs serve the city of Newport and about 70 percent of residents in Middletown and Portsmouth. Three quarters of the watershed - the area of land that drains to the reservoirs - is located within Middletown, with one quarter in Portsmouth. Newport Water’s distribution network consists of two interconnected systems. Water from North and South Easton Pond and other Middletown reservoirs is treated at the main Newport Water treatment facility and distributed to Newport, Middletown, and the U.S. Navy base.
Water from the reservoirs located in Portsmouth is either piped to Bailey Brook or treated at the Lawton Valley treatment plant and distributed primarily by the Portsmouth Water and Fire District. This system may be supplemented seasonally by Newport Water’s and Watson Reservoirs in Tiverton and Little Compton. The water service district includes most of the homes in the watershed. Aquidneck Island is a 24,572 acre island located in the middle of Narragansett Bay.
Middletown, named so because of its placement between Newport and Portsmouth, is bordered by three water-bodies: the SakonnetRiver, Narragansett Bay, and Rhode Island Sound. It is home to Purgatory Chasm, a 10 foot wide, 120 foot long, almost 50 foot deep natural chasm. Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge, also located in Middletown, is home to over 200 species of birds. Sport fishing here is a popular activity, with some of the catch being striped bass, bluefish, and tautog.
Land use on the island is varied but remains primarily residential. The three towns of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth are located on Aquidneck Island. Portsmouth, which has the distinction of being the first colony in the New World founded by a woman (Anne Hutchinson), has a rich colonial past and contains some significant landmarks from the Revolutionary War.
Perhaps the most recognized town on Aquidneck Island is Newport. Newport is an interesting blend of permanent residents, the Navy, and summer tourists. One of the best known natural attractions in Newport is the Cliff Walk. The Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile foot path that originally started off as a dirt trail in the 1700's. Today, portions of the walk are paved and lead through spectacular views of the ocean, as well as Newport's famous "summer cottages". All of the towns on Aquidneck Island offer recreational beaches as well as popular fishing areas.
Treated water meets all drinking water standards but the RI Department of Environmental Management has ranked all water supply reservoirs and tributaries as “impaired” due to poor habitat, high bacteria, or excessive algae, at least partly due to low flow. Any additional runoff and associated pollutants with future development is a concern given existing stresses.
Sewers in the Bailey Brook and half of the Maidford River watersheds help to reduce risk of wastewater contamination provided sewer lines and pump stations are checked for leaks. The Portsmouth reservoirs have the highest concentration of septic systems, underscoring the need for proper septic system maintenance. Substandard systems in shoreline buffers increase the risk that nutrients and bacteria will each surface waters, especially in high water table sites. Newport Water has protected much of the land immediately adjacent to the reservoirs, however, 50 percent of the critical shoreline buffers to surface waters land tributaries in the watersheds has been converted to business, agriculture or house lots, reducing natural treatment potential.
Aquidneck Island owes much of its unique scenic character to its extensive farmland and nurseries, which covers almost 30 percent of the watersheds. Fertilizers and sediment from tilled cropland is potentially a high risk to water quality but actual impacts are highly variable and can be minimized with good farming practices.
Newport Water’s Aquidneck Island water supplies are moderately susceptible to contamination. This is an average ranking for the entire system based on land use and existing water quality. Individual subwatersheds may be more or less susceptible to contamination.
Under current zoning, one half of the agricultural land in the reservoir watersheds could be converted to home sites, with up to two thirds lost in the heavily agricultural Maidford River watershed. Pollution sources are expected to increase only slightly but runoff, lawn fertilizers, and septic systems will become more significant sources. Actual impacts are highly uncertain and may be much greater if landowners develop their properties intensively and if highly marginal sites are developed.
Most of the remaining vacant land is wet, with water tables within 3 feet or less from the ground surface. These areas require careful design to prevent increased runoff volume. In addition, advanced wastewater treatment systems used to build on wet sites are sure to fail without routine maintenance.
Newport Water maintains an active watershed protection program that includes watershed monitoring, land acquisition and retrofitting storm drains to treat runoff. Yet much of the watershed is intensely developed with serious pollution risks from urban development, active agriculture, and continued suburbanization
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