§ 46-15.5-2 - Legislative declaration.
SECTION 46-15.5-2
§ 46-15.5-2 Legislative declaration.– Recognizing the importance of protecting, maintaining and utilizing all sourcesof potable water and recognizing that with the continued demands on theScituate Reservoir, the existing Bristol County water supplies will remain animportant source of water for Bristol County in the future (there being noother logical recipient of this water), it is the intent of the legislaturethat the existing sources, transmission lines and treatment facilities bemaintained and/or upgraded to conform to federal Safe Drinking Water Actstandards, 42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq., irrespective of whether ownership andcontrol is maintained by the Bristol County water authority or is turned overto the state water resources board or its successor. Accordingly, this generalassembly hereby finds and declares that:
(1) The citizens of Bristol County lack an adequate andsecure supply of potable water;
(2) Heretofore acting through the Bristol County waterauthority, the citizens of Bristol County have presented a proposal for theconstruction to bring water from the Scituate Reservoir to Bristol County;
(3) The state and its citizens would be better served and theenvironment enhanced by the construction of an additional connection connectingBristol County to the Scituate Reservoir; and
(4) The need for water in Bristol County is critical andrequires immediate and prompt action on the part of the state, its agencies,boards and commissions.
(5) Bristol County will require an alternate source of supplyin order to construct the improvements to its existing system of reservoirs,wells, and treatment plants,
(6) The alternatives authorized by this chapter will be lessexpensive than the East Providence connection, so-called, and
(7) Reliance by citizens of East Providence and BristolCounty on a single connection would create a hazard to the health, safety andwelfare of the citizens of East Providence and Bristol County, and, therefore,the construction of an emergency connection which shall permit water to flow ineither direction is a public necessity.
(8) The state is mandated to upgrade the current BristolCounty water system of reservoirs, wells, treatment plant, and transmissionlines, with the first priority being given to the construction of a new rawwater transmission line.