For Release: September 4, 1997

Contact: Alicia Good 277-3961

Stephanie Powell 277-2771 ext. 4418

PROVIDENCE - A public meeting to present and discuss the results of a year-long water quality study of Stafford Pond in Tiverton will be held by the RI Department of Environmental Management and the Town of Tiverton Wednesday, September 17 at 7 p.m. at Tiverton High School, 100 North Brayton Road. DEM also will announce it is committing $100,000 to implement recommendations from the study.

DEM has set aside the $100,000 to help cover the costs of recommended best management practices emerging from the study, and additional funds have been budgeted to help the town develop a public education and outreach program for local residents and user groups, according to Alicia Good, Assistant Director of DEM's Office of Water Resources. The report identifies such a program as critical for ensuring that the pond, once restored, is protected from future degradation.

Last year DEM awarded a $107,000 contract from the state Nonpoint Source Pollution bond fund to Fugro/ENSR, Inc. of Northborough, MA to study the pond, identify pollution sources, and develop cost-effective solutions for controlling pollution problems.

The study was commissioned to provide a "sound, scientific basis for identifying and remediating the major sources of pollution affecting the pond," Good said. "Stafford Pond is a vital resource, providing drinking water to major portions of Tiverton and Portsmouth, but several years ago its water quality began to deteriorate. People began to experience taste and odor problems with their drinking water."

The study found that the current phosphorus load to the pond, causing nuisance algae blooms, is considerably higher than the pond can accept, and that a significant reduction must be realized in order to restore the pond. Significant sources of phosphorous, a nutrient that acts as a fertilizer in fresh water, include human and animal wastes.

According to the study, about half of the phosphorous entering Stafford Pond comes from a tributary in the northeast corner of the pond, which receives drainage from a dairy farm. Other significant sources of phosphorous include runoff from roadways and residential areas in other portions of the watershed.

In addition to identifying the primary causes of the water quality problems in Stafford Pond, the report presents options and recommended strategies for reducing phosphorus and controlling other potential sources of pollution.

DEM, working closely with a stakeholders group including town and water supply officials and local residents, will use the recommendations to help steer the development of a restoration and protection plan for the pond, according to Good. "We're hoping that the recommendations in the report can be implemented quickly, but we will be taking the time necessary to allow full public input on the process," she added.

Some important initial steps have already been taken, Good noted, such as the development of a runoff management system for the dairy farm operation. The $25,000 system, developed and funded through a cooperative effort involving the farmer, DEM, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service, was recently approved and construction is expected to begin this fall. Additional state and federal funds have been targeted to further assist the farmer with runoff prevention measures on the farm, she said.

Copies of the 225-page Stafford Pond report are available for review at Tiverton Town Hall, the Tiverton Public Library, and the Tiverton Senior Center.