Title 46, Title 46 and Navigation

The provisions of §§ 45-13-7 — 45-13-10 shall not apply to this chapter or the regulations adopted hereunder.

(a) There is hereby created an advisory council, to be known as the public drinking water supply advisory council, and whose purpose it shall be to advise the director and public drinking water suppliers concerning fees and the implementation of the provisions of this chapter. (b…

(a) The director is hereby authorized to adopt consistent statewide regulations governing the content of cross-connection control plans and to require that all community public water systems and all non-transient, non-community public water systems prepare a cross-connection cont…

(a) The director is hereby authorized to determine by means of laboratory tests, field tests, sanitary surveys, investigations of purification works, examinations of the distribution systems, or by other means, whether water supplied through a public water supply system is safe a…

No source of water shall hereafter be developed for a public water supply system until a site plan has been approved by the director, and no public water supply system shall hereafter be constructed or substantially altered until the plans and specifications for the system have b…

All newly constructed public water supply systems, or additions to existing systems, shall be flushed and adequately disinfected, and the water analyzed in accordance with the requirements of the director before being placed in service.

No person shall maintain a physical connection joining a public water supply system with any other water supply system, unless that connection is approved by the director.

Any person who maintains a public water supply system connection to a tank which is also supplied with water from a water supply system found by the director to be unsafe, shall maintain the tank open to atmospheric pressure, and the public water supply pipe shall terminate at le…

Any person who is furnished water from a public water supply system, and maintains a tank supplied only by that water, shall have the tank constructed and maintained to prevent contaminants from gaining access to the tank interior.

Any person maintaining a public water supply system shall direct the operation and maintenance of the water supply facilities so that the water furnished to the public shall be safe and potable.

(a) Any water supply sampling, monitoring, testing result or laboratory analysis undertaken by or for a public water supply system to determine whether drinking water is safe and potable, which indicates that drinking water may not be safe and potable, shall be reported concurren…

Bathing, swimming, discharge of any sewage or drainage or refuse or polluting matter which may pollute or corrupt or impair the purity or quality of a public drinking water supply or which renders the water supply injurious to health or poses a potential significant risk to publi…

(a) The director of health, when satisfied that any sewage, drainage, refuse, or polluting matter exists in a locality such that there is danger that the sewage, drainage, refuse, or polluting matter may pollute, or corrupt, or impair the purity or quality of any of the waters de…

Any state department or agency which discovers or receives information that a private well or water supply has become contaminated, which contamination may pose a potential danger to the local public water supply, shall, upon receipt of the information, provide written notificati…

If the state department of health discovers that a water supply to a municipality has become contaminated, which contamination may pose a potential danger to the public, the director of health shall, within forty-eight (48) hours of the discovery of the contamination, notify the …

The notice shall be in writing, signed by the director of health or the person performing the duties of that official, and shall be served by any sheriff, deputy sheriff, or constable by reading the notice in the presence or hearing of the owner, occupant, or his or her authorize…

The director of health, the commissioner of environmental management or the director of the department of environmental management until such time as the governor provides by executive order for the actual transfer of functions from the department of environmental management to t…

The superior court, upon the application of the director of health, or the commissioner of environmental management or the director of the department of environmental management until such time as the governor provides by executive order for the actual transfer of functions from …

In order to enforce the provisions of this chapter, the director of health shall have the power to go upon the premises of any person for the purpose of inspection.

(a) Civil penalty. Any person who violates the provisions of this chapter, or any rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each day during which the violation occurs. (b) Criminal p…

The director of the department of health may promulgate such rules and regulations as shall be deemed necessary to effect the provisions of this section.

The general assembly hereby finds and declares that: (1) The state of Rhode Island has been endowed with many and abundant sources of water supplies located advantageously, for the most part, throughout the state. The proper development, protection, conservation, and use of these…

“Water supply system” means, but is not limited to, a system which sells water registered through a metering device or pumps over fifty (50) million gallons of water per year.

(a) Any violation of any provision of this chapter, any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to this chapter, or any term or condition of any permit, shall constitute a public nuisance. Any person, municipality, municipal water department or agency, special water district, or …

(a) It shall be the duty of any person to comply with any order issued pursuant to this chapter. If the person fails to comply with the order within such time, if any, as may be specified, the order may be enforced by the superior court, upon application made by the water resourc…

(a) In the event that any sites, lands, or other property acquired by the board pursuant to chapter 15.1 of this title, and/or in accordance with chapter 6 of title 37, as amended, for the purpose of constructing or maintaining a reservoir or other terraneous or subterraneous sup…

The division of planning shall study and evaluate the needs of the state for current and future water supply and shall have the following powers: (1) To formulate and maintain a long range guide plan and implementing program for development of major water resources and transmissi…

The division of planning, subject to the approval of the governor, shall promulgate an adequate plan for the provision of safe drinking water for the inhabitants of the state when a water emergency has been declared by the governor. A water emergency shall include floods or situa…

The water resources board is authorized to employ such technical consultants as may be required by the board for the proper performance of its powers and duties within the limit of funds provided therefor.

For the purpose of ascertaining material information relevant to the function of the powers and duties of the water resources board, the water resources board may freely examine at any time the books, records, and accounts of any municipal water department, special water district…

The water resources board, on behalf of the board, may require any municipal water department, special water district, or private water company at a designated time or times, to file with its statements and reports, in such form as it may prescribe, covering any data or informati…

In order to adequately protect the interests of the state in its water resources, the water resources board is hereby authorized to: (1) Cooperate with the appropriate agencies of the federal government, of the state or other states, or any interstate bureau, group, division, or …

Whenever in any general or public law the words, “water resources coordinating board” or “the director of the department of the environment” shall appear, the same shall be deemed to refer to and to mean the “water resources board”.

(a) No municipal water department or agency, public water system, including special water districts or private water companies, engaged in the distribution of water for potable purposes shall have any power: (1) To acquire or take a water supply or an additional water supply from…

An applicant may appeal a denial by a public water supply facility made under § 46-15-2(b) which shall be reviewable by the state agency or commission having jurisdiction over the public water supply facility and thereafter by the superior court pursuant to the standards and time…

The exercise of the powers granted by this chapter will be in all respects for the benefit of the people of the state, for the increase of their commerce, welfare, and prosperity, and for the improvement of their health and living conditions, and will constitute the performance o…

(a) Within ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscal year, the board shall approve and submit an annual report to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate and the secretary of state of its activities during that fiscal year. T…

There are hereby transferred to the water resources board: (1) Those functions of the department of administration which were administered through or with respect to board programs in the performance of strategic planning as defined in § 42-11-10(c); (2) All officers, employees, …

Nothing contained in this chapter shall abrogate or affect the powers and duties of the coastal resources management council under chapter 23 of this title.

The commissioners of the New Shoreham water district, governed by its board of water commissioners, may specifically limit its public water system’s obligation to supply water only to those applicants who reside within its designated and described service area as opposed to the e…

The water resources board shall review all proposals and plans for public water supply systems in accordance with the procedures established in this chapter and shall, with respect to each proposal: (1) Make findings concerning the location of existing and potential sources of co…

(a) Whenever the approval of any project as provided in this chapter is required, the application shall be made by the petitioner in writing, the application shall be accompanied by proof of adequate authorization for the project, and such exhibits as may be necessary clearly to …

(a) No municipal water departments or agencies, special water districts, or private water companies shall transport or carry through pipes, conduits, ditches, or canals, the waters of any fresh water lake, pond, brook, river, stream, or creek in this state or any well, subsurface…

(a) On any application for a new or additional water supply or source of water supply, the water resources board, after obtaining the recommendations of the director of the department of health and the division of planning, may require or authorize any applicant to make provision…

The water resources board, its assistants, consultants, employees, subordinates, engineers, surveyors, or other agents or servants, upon giving due notice of intent and purpose, without being liable for trespass, shall have the right, with the consent of the landowner, to enter i…

The water resources board is hereby authorized and empowered to make general rules and regulations and to take such actions and issue such orders as may be required for the enforcement of this chapter, and the rules and regulations, in addition hereto and not inconsistent herewit…