| Chapter 092 |
| 2021 -- S 0655 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 07/01/2021 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION -- BRISTOL COUNTY WATER SUPPLY |
Introduced By: Senators Coyne, Seveney, and Felag |
| Date Introduced: March 18, 2021 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 46-15.5-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 46-15.5 entitled "Bristol |
| County Water Supply" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 46-15.5-2. Legislative declaration. |
| Recognizing the importance of protecting, maintaining and utilizing all sources of potable |
| water and recognizing that with the continued demands on the Scituate Reservoir, the existing |
| Bristol County water supplies will remain an important source of water for Bristol County in the |
| future (there being no other logical recipient of this water), it is the intent of the legislature that the |
| existing sources, transmission lines and treatment facilities be maintained and/or upgraded to |
| conform to federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards, 42 U.S.C. ยง 300f et seq., irrespective of |
| whether ownership and control is maintained by the Bristol County water authority or is turned |
| over to the state water resources board or its successor. Accordingly, this general assembly hereby |
| finds and declares that: |
| (1) The citizens of Bristol County lack an adequate and secure supply of potable water; |
| (2) Heretofore acting through the Bristol County water authority, the citizens of Bristol |
| County have presented a proposal for the construction to bring water from the Scituate Reservoir |
| to Bristol County; |
| (3) The state and its citizens would be better served and the environment enhanced by the |
| construction of an additional connection connecting Bristol County to the Scituate Reservoir; and |
| (4) The need for water in Bristol County is critical and requires immediate and prompt |
| action on the part of the state, its agencies, boards and commissions. ; |
| (5) Bristol County will require an alternate source of supply in order to construct the |
| improvements to its existing system of reservoirs, wells, and treatment plants, |
| (6) The alternatives authorized by this chapter will be less expensive than the East |
| Providence connection, so-called, ; and |
| (7) Reliance by citizens of East Providence and Bristol County on a single connection |
| would create a hazard to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of East Providence and |
| Bristol County, and, therefore, the construction of an emergency connection which that shall |
| permit water to flow in either direction is a public necessity. |
| (8) The state is mandated to upgrade the current Bristol County water system of reservoirs, |
| wells, treatment plant, and transmission lines, with the first priority being given to the construction |
| of a new raw water transmission line. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC002435/SUB A |
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