The Coalition for Water Security, a partnership of many of the state’s leading environmental and economic groups, is joining with the Washington County (aka South County) Regional Planning Council to host a special forum on water issues next Wednesday, Nov 12. The forum will be held on from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m. in the Corliss Auditorium on the URI Narragansett Bay Campus.

The forum provides a look at the challenge of managing our state’s shared water supplies in a way that supports a vibrant economy and a healthy environment, with a focus on the issues facing Washington County. Interested members of the public and local elected and planning officials are invited to hear from major users, including Quonset Development Corporation, URI, and Tuckahoe Turf Farms, and to learn about the water challenges facing communities like North Kingstown, Westerly and Shannock Village. Representatives of the Water Resources Board and the Department of Environmental Management will present an overview of water issues from their vantage point.

“Rhode Island’s water belongs to all of us,” said Sheila Dormody, the Coalition’s coordinator. “Our healthy and clean rivers and streams not only provide our drinking water, but also support fisheries, recreation, tourism and economic development.  With relatively generous rainfall here in the Northeast, our water supply should be a competitive advantage for the state’s communities and businesses while still providing available and high quality water for residents.”

Senator Susan Sosnowski, Chair of the RI Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture with make opening remarks. Panelists will include: William Penn, RI Water Resources Board Chairman; Alisa Richardson, Principal Engineer, DEM Office of Water Resources; Sue Licardi, North Kingstown Water Department Director; Chris Duhamel, Westerly Town Council Member; Steven King, Quonset Development Corporation, Managing Director; J. Vernon Wyman, URI, Assistant Vice President, Business Services; Steven Donohue, Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Vice President of Operations; and Geoffrey Marchant, Community Development Consortium, Director.

The issue of the state’s shared water supplies, how much water the state has, and how it can be efficiently used and fairly allocated has drawn increasing public and political attention.  The Coalition for Water Security has been working to insure that RI has responsible and effective water supply policies—policies which will provide a safe and reliable water supply to meet current needs, reduce waste, provide for economic growth, and protect our rivers and streams.

“The continuing availability of abundant, clean water will shape the future of the communities of Washington County” notes Jeff Broadhead, Executive Director of the Washington County Regional Planning Council.