Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

STATE

Rhode Island

CONTAMINANTS

94

serves

1,041,000

data

2013-2024

UTILITIES

90

Overview

EWG's drinking water quality report for Rhode Island shows results of tests conducted by the water utilities in Rhode Island and provided to EWG by the Rhode Island Department of Health.

LARGE UTILITIES
ALL UTILITIES WITH VIOLATIONS
LARGE UTILITIES WITH VIOLATIONS

Large utilities in Rhode Island

Below are utilities in Rhode Island serving over 10,000 people, listed alphabetically.

UtilityLocationPeople Served
Bristol County Water AuthorityWarren, RI49,000
City of NewportNewport, RI42,155
City of ProvidenceProvidence, RI317,716
CumberlandCumberland, RI21,235
East ProvidenceEast Providence, RI47,618
Kent County Water AuthorityWest Warwick, RI88,779
Lincoln Water CommissionLincoln, RI21,664
North KingstownNorth Kingstown, RI25,200
PawtucketPawtucket, RI98,130
Portsmouth Water & Fire DistrictPortsmouth, RI17,090
United Water Rhode IslandWakefield, RI22,347
University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI19,354
WarwickWarwick, RI73,289
Westerly Water DepartmentWesterly, RI35,298
Woonsocket Water DepartmentWoonsocket, RI45,869

Utilities that accumulated/accrued the most violation points as of July 2021 to June 2024 in Rhode Island

The Environmental Protection Agency's Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database collects compliance and enforcement-related information for drinking water utilities nationwide. ECHO water quality violation scores take into account federal health-based water quality standards, as well as monitoring, reporting and other drinking water quality requirements. Points are accrued based on specific problems at the utility - violations of health-based drinking water standards receive more points than monitoring and reporting violations - and the length of time until the violations were corrected.

UtilityLocationPeople ServedViolation Points
Rockland OaksN. Scituate, RI2691
Lindhbrook Water CompanyHarwington, RI20018
Stone Bridge Fire DistrictTiverton, RI2,6078
Canonchet Cliffs Water Association Inc.Hope Valley, RI1545
Bethel Village Water AssociationAshaway, RI1804
Kingston Water DistrictWest Kingston, RI3,9682
Abbey Lane Community Association Inc.Foster, RI451
Richmond, Town OfWyoming, RI2,6711
City of NewportNewport, RI42,1551
City of ProvidenceProvidence, RI317,7161
Touisset Point Water TrustWarren, RI2251
Jamestown Water DepartmentJamestown, RI3,2941
Foster Senior Housing Inc.Foster, RI311
Sunset Cove Properties LlcChepachet, RI301
Shadow Woods At Deer BrookWarwick, RI3001
Dowling VillageWarwick, RI2,7201

Large utilities that accumulated/accrued the most violation points as of July 2021 to June 2024 in Rhode Island

The Environmental Protection Agency's Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database collects compliance and enforcement-related information for drinking water utilities nationwide. ECHO water quality violation scores take into account federal health-based water quality standards, as well as monitoring, reporting and other drinking water quality requirements. Points are accrued based on specific problems at the utility - violations of health-based drinking water standards receive more points than monitoring and reporting violations - and the length of time until the violations were corrected.

UtilityLocationPeople ServedViolation Points
City of NewportNewport, RI42,1551
City of ProvidenceProvidence, RI317,7161

Contaminants found in Rhode Island above health guidelines

Found above health guidelines Found
Contaminant # of Utilities People Served # of Utilities People Served
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)421,016,841421,016,841
Dibromochloromethane411,016,641421,016,689
Bromodichloromethane43997,57543997,575
Chloroform41997,35753999,650
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)28980,09028980,090
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)39972,13739972,137
Dichloroacetic acid37971,80838972,008
Trichloroacetic acid36970,95837971,258
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)54482,14957578,479
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)38449,19549582,554
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS)34445,65534445,655
Dibromoacetic acid26430,25430532,069
Nitrate52420,512801,017,269
Nitrate & nitrite49420,34468436,470
Chromium (hexavalent)13300,88728982,604
Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)12252,17912252,179
Arsenic16180,26216180,262
Cadmium6104,0547104,224
Bromoform687,08817204,561
6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2FTS)778,067878,112
Chlorite570,7288122,720
Total PFOS and PFOA553,860553,860
Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)135,298135,298
Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)135,298135,298
Radium, combined (-226 & -228)2019,69524120,953
Bromochloromethane19,50019,500
Uranium, combined (pCi/L)154,99226119,729
Manganese41,05338987,244
Perfluoroheptane sulfonic acid (PFHpS)24292429
Perfluoropentane sulfonic acid (PFPeS)24298102,662
Thallium120034,216
Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)11751175
Benzene136136
Beryllium12615143,817

Contaminants found in Rhode Island above legal limits

Contaminant # of Utilities People Served

What filter type is right for you?

Water
Contaminants

view utility

Carbon Filters

Can reduce the levels of many common contaminants.

pros

  • Lower upfront cost
  • Reduced maintenance

cons

  • Does not remove all contaminants

Reverse Osmosis

Most effective at reducing contaminants.

pros

  • Most effective

cons

  • Higher upfront cost
  • Requires more maintenance
  • Wastes water

Other Considerations

Ion Exchange

Pros: Softens hard water, Reduces some contaminants

Cons: Doesn't remove all contaminants

Whole-House Filters

Pros: Useful for reducing radiologicals and TCE

Cons: Expensive to install and maintain, Risk of bacterial contamination

Distillation

Pros: Removes heavy metals and harmful microbes

Cons: Does not reduce most contaminants

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