RI Commission To Study Impact Of Housing Development On Water Supply

PROVIDENCE, RI — A new commission will study ways to evaluate, plan for and limit the impacts of new housing developments on public water supplies.

The commission was formed under legislation sponsored by state Rep. Megan L. Cotter, D-Exeter, Richmond and Hopkinton.

“We are in the midst of a very serious housing crisis that demands we create more homes," Cotter said in a media release.

"We also need to protect our water supply, so new and existing homes have the safe, clean water they all need," Cotter said.

"This isn’t an ‘either/or’ situation, it’s a ‘how,’ because both are essential," she said. "The question we need this commission to answer is how we determine and plan for the impact of housing on the water supply in rural areas, where most homes depend on private wells.”

The 11-member House study commission will consist of House members, representatives of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Department of Health, the Water Resources Board, the R.I. League of Cities and Towns and RIHousing, water authority managers from various towns, and a professional who specializes in hydrology, environmental engineering and/or public health compliance of water systems, according to the release.

The commission is to report its findings and recommendations to the state House of Representatives by June 15, 2027.

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