Bristol County Water Authority
Detailed History
 
 
Water. To the citizens of Bristol County, Rhode Island, water has posed a problem for many years. Served from wells and reservoirs operated by the privately owned Bristol County Water Company, problems of water quality and inadequate supply faced the townspeople of Barrington, Bristol and Warren for decades.
Although attempts were made, and water rates were steadily increased, nothing was ever done to alleviate these problems, until the creation, early in 1984, of the Bristol County Water Authority.
The events of the past are worthy of note in order to understand the water problems, the alternative solutions that have been considered, and the reasons that the Authority was established.
 
Water Events Before 1978
1. Between 1963 and 1970 the City of East Providence conducted numerous discussions with the private Bristol County Water Company (BCWC) with respect to joining in a venture in constructing a water transmission line connecting to the Providence water supply system. East Providence offered to BCWC to oversize its Providence connection to accommodate a full water supply for BCWC for a cost of $1.9 million. An additional $2 million to $2.5 million would have been required to transmit the water from East Providence to Main Street in Warren.
No action was taken.
2. In 1966, an engineering report by Coffin & Richardson Engineers of Boston, Massachusetts, was prepared for the BCWC which recommended joining with East Providence or expanding the company’s reservoir capacity to meet a clearly identified future shortfall in water supply.
No action was taken.
3. In 1968, BCWC proposed that it construct its own Providence supply connection by building a transmission pipeline across Narragansett Bay. Public announcements of the intent to do so were made in 1970. The cost estimate was $6.6 million.
No action was taken.
4. In 1970, the original legislation to enable the establishment of the Bristol County Water Authority was put before the Rhode Island General Assembly. Subject to the approval of the majority of the voters in Barrington, Bristol and Warren, the legislation was passed by the General Assembly.
5. Referenda were proposed in 1970 in all three towns on the question of establishing a public water authority to assist BCWC in reaching a solution to the water problem. The public authority would have power to work with East Providence in the joint pipeline venture. The public authority would be eligible to receive 50% federal funding for the Bristol County project.
These referenda failed.
6. The State Water Resources Board (WRB) offered to construct a cross-bay pipeline for BCWC in 1974 upon BCWC’s parent company, American Water Works Company (AWW), securing the public bonds to be sold by WRB. The project cost was estimated to be $8 million.
AWW rejected this proposal.
7. BCWC commissioned another engineering study in 1978 by the engineering firm of Metcalf and Eddy of Boston, Massachusetts. This study carefully evaluated the cost of expanding the existing water reservoirs/treatment facilities vs. construction of a cross-bay waterline to the Providence water supply system. Cost estimates were in the range of $12 million. The conclusion was that a cross-bay line was the best solution.
No action was taken.
 
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