§ 46-15.5-3. Pipeline connection. (a) The Bristol County water authority shall design, plan, permit, and construct an additional connection to the City of Providence water supply system and construct a new water transmission line to its existing reservoirs. The additional connection to Providence will be constructed north of Fields Point across the Providence River through subterranean excavation, directional drilling or micro tunneling for a pipe not to exceed thirty (30) inches in diameter and without any excavation of the river bed and to extend its transmission mains into and through the city of East Providence to connect with the distribution system of the Bristol County water authority to effect a regular and emergency connection at such places and on such terms and pursuant to such plans as the water resources board shall approve pursuant to the provisions of § 46-15-7.

(1) In addition, the Bristol County water authority shall design, plan, permit, and construct an emergency connection to the City of East Providence water supply system at such point and upon such terms and conditions as the authority, the city and the water resources board shall agree upon.

(2) It is hereby being determined that such connections are just and equitable to all the municipalities affected thereby and that such connections are justified by public necessity and are desirable, and will not adversely affect present and future necessities for sources of water supply, including an adequate flow to the Pawtuxet River.

(3) The Providence water supply board shall release a minimum of nine million (9,000,000) gallons of water per day into the Pawtuxet River from the Scituate Reservoir, thereby assisting the cities of Cranston and Warwick and the towns of Coventry and West Warwick to achieve its wastewater treatment plan permit limits and enable the Pawtuxet River to meet EPA Class C water quality standards.

(4) The water resources board shall give priority consideration to the application, when and if filed by the Bristol County water authority pursuant to the provisions of § 46-15-7, but the application need only address the plans and specifications for the connections and the means by which the connections will be effected. There shall be no requirement that the Bristol County water authority demonstrate public necessity, or whether the plans and specifications give consideration to present and future necessities for the sources of water supply. The design contained in the plans and specifications shall afford the Bristol County water authority a capacity not to exceed 7.5 million (7,500,000) gallons per day maximum day demand. The provisions of § 46-15.3-7.6 or chapter 15.3 of this title shall not apply to any approval of the connection.

(b) The design, of both the new raw water transmission line and the additional connections to the City of Providence water supply system including the emergency connection to the City of East Providence water supply system shall be commenced simultaneously, and such projects shall be simultaneously pursued to completion with all reasonable diligence.

History of Section. (P.L. 1992, ch. 134, § 1; P.L. 1993, ch. 243, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 340, § 52.)