Title 46
Waters and Navigation

Chapter 15.3
Public Drinking Water Supply System Protection

R.I. Gen. Laws § 46-15.3-7.5

§ 46-15.3-7.5. Completion and filing of water supply system management plans.

(a) Each party required by this chapter to prepare and maintain a water supply system management plan shall complete and adopt an initial plan adhering to the schedule as previously approved by the water resources board.

(b) Municipalities and water suppliers subject to the requirements of § 46-15.3-5.1 of this chapter shall file a copy of all plans and amendments thereto with the water resources board. The plans shall be treated as confidential documents.

(c) The water resources board shall establish procedures that permit parties that review the plans under rules adopted by the water resources board to obtain sensitive information essential to performance of their reviews, including minimum measures necessary to transmit, use, store, and maintain such sensitive information under conditions that insure its security to the maximum possible. These procedures may include designation of those persons within each reviewing agency authorized to use or inspect sensitive information, and exclusion of all others. An executive summary containing an:

(1) Introduction;

(2) Background;

(3) A general system description containing:

(i) Water supply sources;

(ii) Water treatment facilities;

(iii) Storage facilities;

(iv) Pumping stations;

(v) Raw water and finished water transmission facilities;

(vi) Distribution facilities including low to high service;

(vii) Planned extensions;

(viii) Interconnections;

(ix) Populations served and projections;

(x) Major users;

(xi) Metering;

(xii) Legal agreements;

(xiii) Leakage;

(xiv) Demand management;

(xv) Supply management;

(xvi) Available water;

(xvii) Safe yield;

(xviii) Anticipated future demands;

(xix) Capital improvement;

(xx) Rate structure;

(xxi) Financial management;

(xxii) Emergency management;

(xxiii) Water supply source protection; and

(xxiv) General policies shall be developed.

(4) This summary shall be distributed as the public document. The water resources board shall be authorized to recover and secure water supply management plans and water supply system management plans previously distributed to other than water resources board and designated review agencies and replaced by executive summaries as provided herein.

(d) Municipalities and water suppliers subject to § 46-15.3-5.1 shall review their plans at least once every five (5) years, and shall amend or replace their plan as may be necessary to remain current.

(e) A municipality or water supplier subject to § 46-15.3-5.1 of this chapter may request, in writing, that the water resources board extend the time in which to complete and submit filings required by this chapter, not to exceed one year. A request shall be approved only upon demonstration that an extension is justified by extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the municipality or water supplier. An extension, if approved, shall not waive any of the requirements of § 46-15.3-7.6. This provision does not apply to the section on emergency management. Should a municipality or water supplier fail to submit a filing as provided herein, a determination of non-compliance shall be made by the water resources board.

History of Section.
P.L. 1997, ch. 360, § 3; P.L. 2002, ch. 232, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 340, § 51; P.L. 2009, ch. 288, § 8; P.L. 2009, ch. 341, § 8.