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Hello, The RIPDES Program at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is issuing a RIPDES permit to the Woonsocket Regional WWTF (RIPDES Permit No. RI0100111). The draft permit authorizes the discharge of treated domestic and</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Hello,</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The RIPDES Program at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is issuing a RIPDES permit to the Woonsocket Regional WWTF (RIPDES Permit No. RI0100111). The draft permit authorizes
the discharge of treated domestic and industrial wastewater to the Blackstone River and includes limits to ensure that the discharge will not cause a water quality violation. The draft permit contains new requirements for the following: monitoring of influent
and effluent for perfluorinated compounds, species sensitivity screening as part of whole effluent toxicity testing, inspection of the facility’s outfall, and submission of a cybersecurity plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The public notice period begins on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, and ends on Friday, March 20, 2026. A public hearing would be held on Thursday, March 19, 2026, if DEM receives a request for a
public hearing from twenty-five (25) people, a governmental agency or subdivision, or an association having no less than twenty-five (25) members on or before Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 4:00 PM. Further details are included in the Public Notice, which is
available at </span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/RIPDES"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#467886">www.dem.ri.gov/RIPDES</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">. The posting also contains the proposed draft permit, fact sheet,
and the latest NPDES reapplication documents. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Contact Aaron Mello at
</span><a href="mailto:aaron.mello@dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#467886">aaron.mello@dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> or 401-537-4255 for additional information or to provide public comment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#2F5496">Aaron Mello</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#2F5496">, Environmental Engineer II<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#2F5496">Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#2F5496">Office of Water Resources/RIPDES Program</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#2F5496">235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908<br>
(401)222-4700 (o); 401-537-4255 (d) </span><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:red">**Note new direct extension</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:aaron.mello@dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif">aaron.mello@dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#2F5496"> (email)</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/ripdes"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif">http://www.dem.ri.gov/ripdes</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#2F5496"> (DEM RIPDES)</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/ripdeserule"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif">http://www.dem.ri.gov/ripdeserule</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#2F5496"> (DEM RIPDES E-reporting)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#2F5496"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#2F5496">Follow DEM on
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