TITLE 46
Waters and Navigation
CHAPTER 46-15.3
Public Drinking Water Supply System Protection
SECTION 46-15.3-5.1
§ 46-15.3-5.1 Water supply systems
management plans.
(a) All parties involved in the supply, transmission, and/or distribution of
drinking water shall prepare, maintain, and carry out a water supply system
management plan as described by this chapter. This requirement applies, without
limitations, to:
(1) All municipalities subject to chapter 22.2 of title 45,
the Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulation Act. The executive summary
of the water supply system management plan including the demand management
goals and plans for water conservation and efficient use of water, of any water
supplier providing service in any municipality, shall be incorporated in the
services and facilities element of the plan for that municipality required by
subdivision 45-22.2-6(6);
(2) All municipalities, municipal departments and agencies,
districts, authorities or other entities engaged in or authorized to engage in
the supply, treatment, transmission, or distribution of drinking water on a
wholesale or retail basis, referred to herein as "water suppliers" , which
obtain, transport, purchase, or sell more than fifty million (50,000,000)
gallons of water per year.
(b) A water supply system management plan shall be prepared
in the format, and shall address each of the topics, listed in this section, to
the extent that each is relevant to the municipality or water supplier, the
water source(s), the water system(s), and the area served or eligible to be
served. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, water supply
management plans shall be in conformity with all applicable provisions of the
Federal Safe Drinking Water Act [42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq.],
chapter 13 of this title, Public Drinking Water Supply, and chapter 14 of this
title, Contamination of Drinking Water, as administered by the department of
health. Any other topic of interest may be included.
(c) A water supply system management plan shall include,
without limitation, the following components:
(1) The water supply management component of the water supply
system management plan shall include, without limitation:
(i) A statement of the goals that the plan is designed to
achieve, including, but not limited to, goals for:
(A) Water resource protection;
(B) Demand management, which shall include goals as
appropriate for managing peak and seasonal use of water; and
(C) Supply development as necessary and with consideration of
source water availability; and
(D) System management, including system safety and
reliability, infrastructure maintenance, repair, and reduction of leakage.
(ii) A description of the water system(s) covered, including
sources of water, the service area, present and anticipated future users, and
other important characteristics;
(iii) Data collection in a form that can be accepted directly
into the Rhode Island Geographic Information System;
(iv) Demand management measures that will achieve a high
level of efficiency in the use of a limited resource, through the application
of metering of one hundred percent (100%) of the water used; sanitary device
retrofit; performance of and compliance with water use audits for major
industrial, commercial, institutional, governmental, agricultural and other
outdoor water users; education and information; and use of appropriate fees,
rates, and charges to influence use demand management measures shall include
such restrictions on use; as may be necessary to meet or exceed targets for
water use, including seasonal use, that are established by the water
resources board; and the water resources board is hereby expressly directed
and authorized to establish and maintain no later than July 31, 2010 by rule
targets for water use and methods for achieving the targets, which shall as
appropriate take into account differing conditions among watershed and water
supply areas;
(v) System management measures to insure that the following
elements are optimally operated and maintained, including: leak detection and
repair; meter installation and replacement; and frequency of reading meters.
Maintenance or reduction of leakage to stated goals shall be considered an
essential component of system management;
(vi) Supply management measures to insure present and future
availability of drinking water in adequate quantity and quality, including
protection of the capacity and quality of drinking water sources; retaining
water sources for standby or future use that are or can be improved to drinking
water quality; reactivation of any water sources not in use; interconnection of
systems for ongoing, standby, or emergency use; supply augmentation;
(vii) Emergency management, including risk assessment;
responses to temporary or permanent loss of supplies due to natural or manmade
causes; extraordinary treatment processes; interruptions in the delivery
system; and contamination of water sources or delivery systems;
(viii) The water supply system management plans of water
suppliers shall document that coordination has been accomplished with those
plans of other suppliers in the vicinity and with operators of wastewater
treatment and disposal facilities serving all or part of the same area or that
a good faith effort to do so has been made. Plans shall be consistent with
applicable local comprehensive plans and shall be integrated into the water
supply plans of the municipality or municipalities in which the service area is
or is planned to be located. Conversely, the local comprehensive plans shall
be consistent with water supply plans;
(ix) Water supply system management plans shall designate the
person or organization responsible for taking each action, others who must
participate, and the time period in which each action is to be taken. The
capital, operating, and maintenance cost (if any) of each action shall be
estimated and the anticipated source of funds shall be identified;
(x) Water suppliers subject to this chapter shall utilize
methods to implement management measures necessary to achieve the findings,
intent, and objectives of this chapter. The water supplier may be required to
document the validity or effectiveness of any management measure,
implementation method, or other provision or action included in its plan.
(2) The water quality protection component of the water
supply system management plan shall include, without limitations, those items
enumerated in § 46-15.3-7.
(3) The leak detection and repair component of the water
supply system management plan shall include, without limitation:
(i) Methodology for leak detection;
(ii) Detailed program for the conducting of required repairs
to the water supply system;
(iii) Impact assessment studies on the ability of the
supplier to provide for peak demand services;
(iv) A priority list of actions for implementing these
management measures;
(v) Every supplier of public water encompassed under this
section shall conduct periodic leak detection consistent with stated goals for
leakage, however no less frequently than once every ten (10) years.
History of Section.
(P.L. 1990, ch. 484, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 360, § 2; P.L. 2009, ch.
288, § 8; P.L. 2009, ch. 341, § 8.)
