Barrington Yacht Club Receives $1,900 Grant To Pump Sewage From Water

BARRINGTON, RI — The Rhode Island Department Of Environmental Management (DEM) awarded nearly $105,000 in grants to eight communities and marinas to help expand and maintain boat pump-out facilities and keep coastal waters across Rhode Island clean, including a facility in Barrington.

The grants, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Clean Vessel Act (CVA), help municipalities, marinas, and yacht clubs pay for improvements to marine and land-based pump-out facilities.

"Most of us know it’s not right to discharge wastewater directly from our boats into Narragansett Bay or the ocean," DEM Director Terry Gray said. "In fact, it's illegal to pump waste within three nautical miles of the Rhode Island coast. DEM works with municipal and marine trades partners to prevent the discharge of boat sewage, which impairs water quality by introducing bacteria and other pathogens and chemicals that are harmful to humans and marine life. The support of the US Fish and Wildlife Service Clean Vessel Act helps accomplish this by subsidizing pump-out facilities that empower thousands of Rhode Island recreational boaters to do their part to keep the bay and coastal waters clean."

There are currently 15 pump-out boats and 59 facilities located across Narragansett Bay and coastal waters. State officials said many facilities require repair and upgrades, as they have exceeded their useful life expectancy since initial construction.

The grants require a 25 percent funding match, and funded facilities must be available to all boaters. Grant recipients also agreed to charge no more than $5 per 30 gallons of sewage pumped.

2023 grant recipients include:

• Barrington Yacht Club: $1,943 for the maintenance of a stationary pump-out on the Barrington River
• Providence Marina: $1,100 for the maintenance of a stationary pump-out on the Providence River
• Safe Harbor Cove Haven Marina (East Providence): $37,420 for the replacement of an existing stationary pump-out on Bullock Cove
• Safe Harbor Greenwich Bay Marina: $5,925 for the maintenance of existing stationary and mobile pump-outs on Greenwich Bay
• Safe Harbor Wickford Cove Marina: $1,017 for operating costs of an existing stationary pump-out on Wickford Cove
• Town of Jamestown: $27,000 for the construction of a new stationary pump-out and the maintenance of two existing stationary pump-outs in Jamestown
• Town of New Shoreham: $7,500 for maintenance of three existing mobile pump-out boats in Great Salt Pond
• Westerly Yacht Club: $22,864 for the replacement of an existing stationary pump-out on the Pawcatuck River.