Reduce High Bacteria Levels Through Stormwater Control

Stormwater flowing from Route 1 heading towards Green Hill Pond. Courtesy: Dennis Bowman

Stormwater control is the effort to reduce and filter runoff of rainwater or melted snow as it drains into Green Hill Pond, thereby reducing bacteria and leading to the improvement of overall water quality. This simple concept requires complex and multifaceted projects to address. In partnership with the Town of South Kingstown, our stormwater work is focused in four areas:

Conducting a Stormwater Assessment 2020-2022. The Green Hill Pond stormwater control project began in 2020 with a comprehensive assessment of stormwater remediation sites in the Green Hill Pond watershed including strategies to reduce the impact of stormwater in the watershed.

Developing Stormwater Designs 2022-2023. The Green Hill Pond stormwater control project continued in 2022 with design work on four high priority municipal sites and up to 10 residential properties.

Challenging State Policies that Limit Stormwater Control 2022 – Ongoing. FGHP is challenging two state policies that significantly limit the potential impact of stormwater control in the Green Hill Pond watershed.

Seeking Construction Funding 2023-2024. Once the final designs and permits are in place, it will be time to seek funding for construction from federal, state, local, and private sources. The Town of South Kingstown will take the lead overall, but FGHP will spearhead soliciting private donations to help secure the required amount of public funding to complete the construction of the new stormwater controls.