R 402

2015 -- H 6326 Enacted 06/18/2015

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF A SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY FOR THE RESIDENTS OF OUR STATE AND THE ORIGINS OF PROVIDENCE WATER, THE LARGEST WATER UTILITY IN RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By: Representatives Marcello, Lima, Williams, Almeida, and McKiernan

Date Introduced: June 18, 2015

WHEREAS, In 1636, when Roger Williams founded Providence, the only available

drinking water was derived from private wells. By 1773, a fountain society had formed which

supplied water to Providence through a system of underground hollowed out logs; and

WHEREAS, In the early 1800's, as the population began to grow, Providence's City

Council sought to locate a reliable water supply source. Until the early 1900's, water was

pumped, without any purification treatment, directly from the Pawtuxet River at Pettaconsett in

the City of Cranston; and

WHEREAS, By 1913, a committee was formed to remedy the situation and develop a

stable water supply source and distribution system. Shortly thereafter, the committee determined

that the head of the North Branch Pawtuxet River and its two main tributaries were the best

potential source, and in 1915, the Rhode Island General Assembly, recognizing water to be an

essential and valuable resource to our state, passed enabling legislation to allow for the

construction of a reservoir and related public water supply system for the City of Providence; and

WHEREAS, In 1926, it was decided that a new modern water supply system needed to

be developed and the construction of a large reservoir and treatment plant on the North Branch of

the Pawtuxet River in the Town of Scituate commenced. In September of 1926, the main Scituate

reservoir was formed by the construction of a dam across the Pawtuxet River, and an aqueduct

from the dam fed the nearby treatment plant; and

WHEREAS, The construction of the Scituate Reservoir caused the demolition of 1,195

buildings including 375 homes, 233 barns, 7 schools, 6 churches, 11 ice houses, 5 halls, 30 dairy

farms, and the deconstruction of the Providence and Danielson Railway; and

WHEREAS, As a result of the demolition and construction, the Villages of Rockland,

Ashland, South Scituate, Richmond, and Kent ceased to exist and now lay under the waters of the

Scituate Reservoir; and

WHEREAS, At the time, the treatment plant and its filtration system were among the

most technologically advanced in the country and considered state-of-the-art. In the 1940's and

again in the 1960's, due to ever-increasing demand, the treatment plant underwent major

expansions and renovations; and

WHEREAS, Today, Providence Water, which is owned and operated by the City of

Providence, is the largest water utility in Rhode Island. Its system provides water to 600,000

consumers, and consists of the main Scituate Reservoir supply and its five tributary reservoirs. Its

plant has a maximum treatment capacity of 144 million gallons of water per day and still remains

the largest capacity conventional treatment facility in New England; and

WHEREAS, The sacrifices made by the residents of Scituate more than 100 years ago

benefited the whole of the City of Providence, and currently, benefit 60 percent of all the water

consumers in our state. Their sacrifices not only resulted in a pure, plentiful, and potable water

supply, but also provided a pristine and idyllic environment for the Town of Scituate's current

residents; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the creation of a safe and

sustainable water supply for the residents of our state and the origins of Providence Water, and

commemorates the sacrifices made by the people of the Town of Scituate; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Xaykham Khamsyvoravong, Chairperson of the

Board of Directors for Providence Water, members of the Scituate Town Council, and the

Scituate Town Clerk.

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LC002902

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