For Release: October 29, 1998

Contact: Ernest Panciera 222-4700 ext. 7603

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management has announced the availability of $60,000 in funds through the state's Wellhead Protection Program for towns and water suppliers to implement groundwater protection projects. Individual grants of up to $15,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis to eligible towns and suppliers from federal Clean Water Act funds received through the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Municipalities and the 15 major water suppliers required to comply with the Wellhead Protection Program are eligible to apply, as are small community water supply systems that have developed their own wellhead protection plans. In awarding the grants, priority will be given to those municipalities and suppliers that have complied with the Rhode Island Wellhead Protection Program.

Two-thirds of Rhode Island communities rely in whole or significant part on groundwater for their drinking water supplies. "Because of the expense and complexities in cleaning up groundwater contamination, preventing contamination is the best approach," said Alicia Good, Assistant Director of DEM's Office of Water Resources, who oversees the Wellhead Protection Program.

Types of grant projects include, but are not limited to: community programs to assess and manage impacts of nitrogen on groundwater quality in wellhead protection areas; construction of physical improvements to protect a well or well field; removal/mitigation of threats to groundwater quality; and sponsoring community education seminars and school curriculum in groundwater protection. "DEM encourages innovation in determining the most appropriate strategies for resource protection," Good added.

Grant requests must be submitted according to established criteria by December 11. DEM expects to award grants in mid-February, and projects must be completed by March of 2000. For information about the grant process, contact Ernest Panciera at DEM's Office of Water Resources, 222-4700 ext. 7603.

The state's Wellhead Protection Program, one of the first in the nation to receive EPA approval, was developed by DEM in 1990 to prevent contamination of groundwater resources supplying public wells. There are three steps to the program: 1) delineation by DEM of the more than 600 wellhead protection areas in the state (the areas contributing groundwater to public wells); 2) identification via inventories of known and potential sources of groundwater contamination within the wellhead protection areas by each municipality and major water supplier; and 3) development and implementation of a wellhead protection plan by each municipality and major water supplier. The delineation is complete; 35 out of 44 inventories have been completed; three municipal plans and four supplier plans have been approved.

As part of DEM's on-going technical assistance efforts, DEM staff will meet with municipal or supplier staff who are interested in developing or implementing strategies for groundwater protection. For information on the program, contact Panciera at the above number.