This article is part of an Earth Month series exploring environmental issues, climate initiatives and community stakeholders throughout Providence and Rhode Island.
From Poland Spring to Dasani, SmartWater to Fiji, consumers have a variety of options for quenching their thirst. Regardless of the brand, around 58% of American adults find that bottled water tastes better than water from the tap, and a say they are concerned about contaminants in their drinking water.
But the Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚 hopes to make it safe for every resident to drink water straight from their tap. The Herald spoke with state water agencies and suppliers to spill the secrets behind your water.
鈥淩esidents can be sure of the safety and quality of our water thanks to our rigorous water testing,鈥� Christopher Hunter, a spokesperson for Providence Water, wrote in an email to The Herald. The Ocean State ranks sixteenth for air and water quality nationwide, according to .
About 60% of Rhode Island residents get their drinking water from the , supplied by The Scituate Reservoir. About relies at least partially on similar freshwater reservoirs for its drinking water supply. The rest comes from groundwater sources.
After testing, the water supply 鈥済ets moved around all over the place,鈥� said Robert Schultz, Jr., the director of utilities for Newport Department of Utilities. 鈥淵ou could be drinking water that鈥檚 all the way over from Tiverton in Little Compton.鈥�
According to Schultz, many factors can impact water quality, including wind direction, land development and topography.
As Rhode Island鈥檚 population and economy continues to grow, we have to 鈥渕inimize impacts鈥� to water distribution, according to Christopher Riely, forestry specialist for the University of Rhode Island鈥檚 Department of Natural Resources Science.
But ensuring the quality and reliability of the state鈥檚 water supply requires a 鈥渃onservation-oriented development,鈥� Riley added, suggesting that denser development might protect the natural reservoirs which serve as the Ocean State鈥檚 primary water source.
After collecting raw water from these sources, the decontamination process is 鈥渁ctually pretty simple,鈥� James Decelles, chief engineer for the Pawtucket Water Supply Board, explained. The water goes through a clarification process and carbon filters prior to chemical treatment. Following this process, the treated water is pumped into the general distribution system, he said.
Throughout the entire process, the water is continuously tested. 鈥淲e do more testing than I care to think about,鈥� Decelles said.
The testing process can include grab-samples and mechanized analyzers, along with trained operators overseeing every step along the way, Schultz said. In 2022, Newport Water conducted more than 80,000 tests, according to their .
鈥淯ltimately, the water quality is exceptional (by the time) it leaves the plant,鈥� Schultz added.
But testing water quality is getting more expensive due to increasing federal regulations and test requirements, Decelles said.
Last Tuesday, the EPA set forth another for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances 鈥� artificial 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥� found in small doses in drinking water. The new regulation sets enforceable maximum contaminant levels at 4.0 parts per trillion for each chemical. According to Decelles, these levels are the lowest testable quantities with modern-day technology.
鈥淏ack in the day, parts per million was a lot. We鈥檙e in parts per trillion now,鈥� he said.
Schultz said an increase in the cost of testing will fall on water consumers. Trying to balance the need for strict regulations with the need to keep water bills affordable is difficult when 鈥測ou have pressures coming from all different sides,鈥� he said.
According to Schultz, water engineers are required to address certain topics and regulations, while also keeping general requirements and affordability in mind.
After all the testing is complete, 鈥渨e put out a pretty darn good product,鈥� Decelles said. He added that tap water goes through far more vigorous testing and strict regulations than bottled water.
鈥淓specially with all the other stuff we eat and drink, the least of my worries is the water,鈥� Decelles said.
Maya Kelly is a Metro senior staff writer who covers health and environment. When she's not at The Herald, you can find her hanging from an aerial silk, bullet journaling, or stress-baking.
