property
Rhode Island Cesspool Act
The Rhode Island Cesspool Act of 2007, administered by the Department of Environmental Management (DEM), phases out cesspools. When a building served by a cesspool is sold, the cesspool must be replaced with an onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) or connected to public sewer within 12 months of the transfer. If the disposal method is unknown, a system inspector must check before the sale, and the contract must give the buyer a ten-day inspection period. Transfers between spouses, parents and children, and full siblings are excluded.
- Exam tip
- Numbers: 12 months after transfer to replace, ten-day inspection window, agency is DEM. Rhode Island has parallel ten-day buyer rights for lead and private wells, and a missing clause lets the buyer void before closing.
- Example
- A buyer closes May 15 on a cottage where an inspector found a cesspool; it must be replaced or connected to sewer by May 15 of the next year.
Related terms & state variants
Sources
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Last verified: 2026-10-23