§ 46-30-2 - Legislative findings, intent, and objectives. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 46-30-2

   § 46-30-2  Legislative findings, intent,and objectives. – (a) It is hereby found and declared that:

   (1) Water is vital to life and comprises an invaluablenatural resource which is not to be abused by any segment of the state'spopulation or its economy. It is the policy of the state to restore, enhance,and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of its waters toprotect health;

   (2) It is further found and declared that the waters of thisstate are a critical renewable resource which must be protected to insure theavailability of safe and potable drinking water for present and future needs;

   (3) It is further found and declared that public water supplysystems have the responsibility to provide safety and potable drinking water tothe state's population;

   (4) It is further found and declared that financial andregulatory pressures may force some small public water supply systems intoeconomically losing propositions;

   (5) It is further found and declared that economy andefficiency dictate the desirability to combine small public water supplysystems with other public water supply systems;

   (b) The objectives of this chapter are:

   (1) To establish a mechanism to combine small public watersupply systems and/or annex small systems to adjacent water supplies in orderto provide viable water supplies capable of meeting federal and state drinkingwater regulations current at all times.

   (2) To enable each local jurisdiction, city, town, waterauthority, water district, small supplier, or small public water supply systemto petition the adjacent supplier for the purpose of merging or annexing withthe supplier in an economically fair method.

   (3) No merger nor annexation shall proceed without theconsent of the governing board of each respective entity or, in the case of amunicipally owned system, a vote of the majority of the entire town or citycouncil or, in the case of a private supplier, the consent of the owner of thefacilities in question and the governing board of the petitioned governingagency.