§ 46-15.3-4. Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings, unless the context shall indicate another or different meaning or intent:

(1) "Aquifer" means a geologic formation, group of formations, or part of a formation capable of yielding a significant amount of groundwater to wells, springs, or surface water.

(2) "Commercial agricultural producers" means purveyors of at least two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) of agricultural products during a calendar year.

(3) "Eligible expenditure" means the acquisition of a fee simple interest or of a conservation restriction, as that term is defined in § 34-39-2(a), or other interest in watershed lands, including, but not limited to, costs and expenses relating to the improvement of the lands or interests therein, maintenance of the lands or roads or interests therein, and taxes thereon, or the funding of the construction of physical improvements that directly protect the quality and safety of public drinking water supply. No funds under this section shall be used to extend service lines or expand system capacity.

(4) "Ground water" means water found underground which completely fills the open spaces between particles of sand, gravel, clay, silt, and consolidated rock fractures. The zone of materials filled with groundwater is called the zone of saturation.

(5) "Ground water recharge" means the processes of addition of water to the zone of saturation, that zone beneath the water table.

(6) "Raw water" means water in its natural state prior to any treatment.

(7) "Recharge area" means an area in which water is absorbed that eventually reaches the zone of saturation.

(8) "Sale" means all retail sales of potable water to end users for any purpose in the ordinary course of business by a supplier, except for sales exempt pursuant to § 46-15.3-5(c), (d) and (e).

(9) "Source" means the raw water upon which a public water supply system abounds, and refers to both groundwater and surface water.

(10) "Supplier(s) of public drinking water" and "supplier(s)" mean any city, town, district, or other municipal, quasi municipal, or public or private corporation or company engaged in the sale of potable water and the water supply business in Rhode Island; provided, however, that only suppliers which withdraw water from wells, reservoirs, springs, or other original sources in potable quality shall be entitled to disbursements pursuant to § 46-15.3-11.

(11) "The fund" means the water quality protection funds as described in § 46-15.3-10.

(12) "Watersheds" means those land areas which, because of their topography, soil type, and drainage patterns, act as collectors of raw waters which replenish or regorge existing or planned public drinking water supplies.

(13) "Non-billed water" means the difference between water produced by a supplier and water sold by the same supplier.

(14) "Leakage" means the difference between non-billed water and the total of the estimated or measured allowances for fire fighting, meter inaccuracy, theft, system usage, main flushing, sewer cleaning, storm drain cleaning, and other allowances that may be developed by the water resources board.

History of Section. (P.L. 1987, ch. 417, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 411, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 336, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 472, § 2; P.L. 1991, ch. 40, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 468, § 2; P.L. 1993, ch. 25, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 404, § 38; P.L. 2009, ch. 288, § 8; P.L. 2009, ch. 341, § 8.)