Friday, November 20, 2009

A Watery Success at the State House

By Chip Young

Water conservation bill can help economy and environment

It was three years in the making, but passage of the Water Use and Efficiency Act during this year’s General Assembly session marked a real success in a climate where everything seemed to be depressing news about the state budget.

Sponsored by Sen. Sue Sosnowski and Rep. Frank Ferri, the Act is designed to build upon water conservation to improve management of the state’s water resources The Coalition for Water Security (full disclosure: I am a member), had worked with legislators, state agencies, water suppliers and the agriculture community for three years to build consensus support for the bill. In the end, House passage and a unanimous 38-0 vote in the Senate sent The Water Use and Efficiency Act to the governor for final approval.  (Governor Carcieri allowed it to become law without his signature, reasons not forthcoming.)

“This bill will give the state an excellent way to promote economic development and protect the environment through water conservation,” said Sheila Dormody, coordinator of the statewide Coalition for Water Security, a 17-member public advocacy group which helped craft the legislation and build consensus among legislators, state agencies, water suppliers, the agriculture community, and environmental and economic organizations.  “It has been a long time coming, but we believe all of Rhode Island’s residents and businesses will benefit from the conservation measures the Act will put into place.”

According to the Coalition, when implemented, the Act will:
• Ensure availability of water for priority uses such as economic development, farming, firefighting, and drinking, primarily by reducing overuse of water in the summer.
• Capitalize on the competitive economic advantage that can be offered by a water supply that is adequate to meet our needs.
• Protect the state’s invaluable natural resources by maintaining enough water in its rivers and streams.
• Improve the structure and operation of the Water Resources Board.

A planned pilot program by the Water Resources Board in the Hunt-Annaquatucket-Pettaquamscutt Rivers watershed may show how the bill’s initiatives will pay off elsewhere in the state.  Not only is the “HAP” watershed a stressed area, but it is affected by one of the biggest problems facing the state’s water resources: over-watering lawns in the summer.  This increase in usage at a time when supllies are most limited has been as much as two to three times above the winter average in the City of Warwick.  This is exacerbated by the fact that lawns simply don’t need to be constantly drenched to thrive.

Anything a Rhode Island resident or business can do to conserve water means that the state can have a competitive economic advantage, and provide enough of a back-up supply so that new wells are not necessary.  All the while maintaining enough water in our streams and rivers to support habitats for the fish, birds and plants that make this a very nice place to call home.  Ball’s in your court now, and kudos to the General Assembly for bright spot in dark times.

The Coalition for Water Security represents the 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, Trust for Public Land, and the Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association.