DEM Closes Upper Bay Shellfishing Due to Sewage Overflow in Pawtucket

DEM Closes Upper Bay Shellfishing Due to Sewage Overflow in Pawtucket

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management issued the following press release after the discovery of a sewage spill in Pawtucket.

DEM ANNOUNCES EMERGENCY CLOSURE OF THE CONIMICUT TRIANGLE AND AREA A IN UPPER NARRAGANSETT BAY TO SHELLFISHING AT NOON TODAY DUE TO SEWAGE OVERFLOW FROM NBC SEWER SYSTEM

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that the Conimicut Triangle and Area A of Upper Narragansett Bay will be closed to shellfishing beginning at noon today. The closure is being enacted after receiving a report of a significant but unknown quantity of raw sewage entering the Seekonk River due to a sewage overflow from the Narragansett Bay Commission’s wastewater collection system in the area of

Officials from Narragansett Bay Commission staff discovered the overflow from the Bucklin Point sewer system this morning, began emergency disinfection with chlorine, alerted DEM and cleared the blockage, ending the bypass.

DEM plans to reopen Conimicut Triangle and Area A of Upper Narragansett Bay to shellfishing at sunrise on Tuesday, March 6^th.

DEM maintains a 24-hour shellfishing hotline with recorded updated information on shellfish closure areas. That number is 222-2900.

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