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RI Division of Statewide Planning
235 Promenade Street, Suite 230
Providence, RI 02908 DOA.Water@doa.ri.gov Kathleen.Crawley@doa.ri.gov

The work we do at the RI WRB

Programs

Water Supply System Management Plans

Water Supply System Management Plans (WSSMPs) are prepared by water suppliers that produce over fifty million gallons of water per year. These plans contain comprehensive information about the largest twenty-eight systems that provide water to the vast majority of the state's population. Required content areas include detailed system information, current and projected demands, water quality protection, financial and emergency management, system goals and implementation schedules.

The Water Resources Board (WRB) administers the water supply planning process. WRB has adopted Rules and Procedures for Water Supply System Management Planning for guiding the content and approval process pursuant to the Rhode Island General Laws, Chapter 46-15.3 Public Drinking Water Supply System Protection. By law, the plans are confidential and the Executive Summaries serve as the public document. The statutory objectives of the program are:

  1. To insure that water supply system management plans are prepared, maintained, and carried out by each municipality and by each municipal department, agency, district, authority, or other entity engaged in or authorized to engage in the supply, treatment, transmission, or distribution of drinking water, and
  2. That the said plans and their execution achieve the effective and efficient conservation, development, utilization, and protection of this finite natural resource in ways that meet the present and future needs of the state and its people.

In addition, the Comprehensive Planning Act RIGL (45-22.2-6(b)(8)) requires that municipal comprehensive plans "analyze the needs for future types and levels of services and facilities, including...water supply system management planning". Staff of the WRB works with the RI Department of Administration's Statewide Planning Program for the review and approval of comprehensive plans. Staff also closely coordinates with the water quality protection programs of the RI Departments of Health and Environmental Management.

In 2011, pursuant to the Water Use and Efficiency Act, the Water Resources Board adopted the Water Use and Efficiency Rule for Major Public Water Suppliers. The new rule added demand management strategies with specific targets and goals to WSSMPs and established annual data reporting requirements for data that was previously provided in the WSSMPs. The annual reports provide important water production and use data on a more frequent basis in order to assess trends and engage in statewide strategic water supply planning.

Executive Summaries

Executive Summaries
Kingston Water District