Protect Rhode Island's Water Supply
Wasting Water Hurts the Environment and our Economy
The Hunt River: Economic Growth Stymied by Poor Water Management
In areas of the state that are planned for economic growth, rivers have already nearly run dry because too much water was taken out.
Kent County Water Authority, Quonset Point, and the North Kingstown water supplier all compete for the groundwater that replenishes the Hunt River. The Hunt was reduced to a trickle
from overuse in August 2005, when it wasn't even a drought.
The average summer water use in Warwick in 2005 was nearly triple the amount of water use in the winter.
The result? In 2005, the Kent County Water Authority was unable to provide Amgen with assurances that it could access more water.
Rhode Island's water is shared by all of us.
Rhode Island's drinking water, tourism, economic development, fisheries and much of our recreation depends on the state's clean flowing rivers and streams. With proper planning and use, the region's ample rainfall will continue to provide adequate water for Rhode Island's needs in the future.
Unfortunately, Rhode Island doesn't have a plan in place that will ensure enough water is available to supply all of our needs.
It's time to share our water more wisely.
Rhode Island Needs to Conserve Water for a Better Future
Summer Lawn Watering Doubles or Triples Water Use
An established lawn needs only about one inch of water per week to remain healthy. Watering once a week allows longer roots to grow. The result is a healthier lawn that is less vulnerable to drought and disease and that needs less water, pesticides, and weed control products to stay green.
Water use is highest when supply is at its lowest.
Unfortunately, many Rhode Islanders over water their lawns. Excessive lawn watering wastes water and stresses the waterways when streams are at their lowest.
Support the Rhode Island Shared Water Resources Act
The Rhode Island Shared Water Resources Act of 2008 (H7787, S2637) accomplishes three goals:- Promotes efficiency and conservation.
The fastest, cheapest, most environmentally sound source of new water is to use our existing water more wisely.
This bill promotes water conservation in all of our communities.
- Protects rivers and provides predictable water supply
To manage our water supply effectively, we need to know how much we have. The bill will give the state the tools to determine how much water is safe to withdraw from our waterways.
- Invests in updating our aging infrastructure.
This bill creates the funds we need to make necessary repairs to our aging infrastructure now to avoid more costly repairs later.
Take Action Today
- Write a letter to your elected officials.
Use the sample letter here. Add a sentence about why protecting our water is important to you. Be sure to ask for a reply. Customize the sample letter now. - Write a letter to the editor.
Send a short letter to the editor of your local paper urging the Governor and General Assembly to support the Shared Water Resources Act.
- Conserve water at home.
A healthy lawn needs only up to one inch of water per week. Set your sprinkler to a manual control or install a rain gauge to determine when your lawn needs to be watered.
Together we can protect our environment and our economy.
The Coalition for Water Security represents Aquidneck Land Trust, Audubon Society of Rhode Island, Clean Water Action, Conservation Law Foundation, Environment Council of Rhode Island, Environment Rhode Island, Grow Smart Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, Narrow River Preservation Association, Rhode Island Land Trust Council, Rhode Island Natural History Survey, Sierra Club Rhode Island Chapter, Save The Bay, The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, Trust for Public Land, and the Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association.
