Smithfield Wastewater Treatment Facility

20 Esmond Mill Drive, Smithfield, RI  02917

The Town of Smithfield Sewer Authority owns & operates a Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) that opened on June 5, 1978 and has a design capacity of 3.5 million gallons per day treatment ability. The current average daily flow to the facility is approximately 2.0 million gallons of wastewater every day.  The facility is a tertiary treatment plant which removes approximately 98% of organic matter, maintains odor controls and meets mandated advanced level nutrient removal regulatory requirements.  The facility is permitted under the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's RIPDES Program (Rhode Island Pollutant Discharge Elimination System), meeting all program permit requirements in accordance with the USEPA Clean Water Act.

Please refer to:

Sewer Use Ordinance, Chapter 294

Sewer Authority Rules & Regulations, Chapter A-361

The collection system throughout the Town of Smithfield comprised of approximately 80 miles of underground sewer mains, varying in gravity pipes size from 6-inches up to 36-inches; low & high pressure sewer force mains and twelve (12) sewer pump stations.  The collection system is managed by the Contractor with the oversite of the Town using GIS as an asset management tool.

Connections to the Sewer System may be permitted, please refer to:

Sewer Connection Permit Application

Sewer Connection Requirement & Instructions

For information related to Extension of Public Sewers within the Sewer Authority's district, please refer to the following requirements:

Smithfield Sewer Authority - Sewer Extension Policy Regulatory Requirements

Sewer Extension Policy General Requirements

Sewer Extension Standard Operating Procedures

All wastewater influent from approximately 8,500 customers to the facility is discharged as treated final effluent into the Woonasquatucket River and eventually into the Narragansett Bay.  Smithfield's Wastewater Treatment District has one of the lowest user rate charges in the State of Rhode Island, presently at $400 annual charge for Fiscal Year 2024.

Please check out how Smithfield's sewer use rates compare to the rest of the wastewater districts within the State:

2023 Rhode Island Sewer User Rate Survey

The plant is operated by Delaware-based Veolia Water North America under the general direction of the Town by way of a long-term operation & maintenance service agreement.  The WWTF is now meeting clean water standards using Bioloigical Nutrient Removal processes through an A2O Process and then effluent tertiary treatment of Zinc & Phosphorus with the recently constructed Actiflo tertiary treatment system.

The Town of Smithfield Sewer Authority also manages an Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment Program (IPP) to establish & manage commercial & industrial wastewater flows ensuring a treatable wastewater can be processed by the Town's WWTF.  Largely the IPP Program is geared towards Fats, Oils & Grease management, there are many other industrial wastwater discharge characteristics that must also be provided for by various private businesses connected to the Town's wastewater collection system.

Industrial Pretreatment Program Restaurant Application

Industrial Pretreatment Program Non-Restaurant Application

DO NOT DISPOSE OF FAT, OIL OR GREASE DOWN THE DRAIN!!!! - CLICK HERE!!!

Fats, Oils & Grease in the sewer mains causes blockages which are costly to remedy & damage private property.  Nobody believes it can happen to them until it happens to you.  Don't dump it down the drain!

Educational Resources for understanding Wastewater:

Environmental Education & Outreach Co.

Take a Journey Down the Drain with Wastewater

Childrens Guide to Who Cleans Our Wastewater

Childrens Guide to Fats, Oils & Grease

 When it comes to getting to the root of sewer problems, please don't plant vegetation outdoors anywhere near your sewer line that services the building on your property.  In 20-years time tree and shrub roots can find their way into almost any sewer service line.

Trees are pretty when they are planted, but end up costly when planted on top of underground sewer pipes.