PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management will host a public meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 13 at the North Kingstown Free Library to discuss efforts to restore water quality in the Hunt River watershed. DEM has identified sections of the Hunt River, Scrabbletown Brook, and Fry Brook as not meeting state water quality standards for fecal coliform, an indicator of bacterial contamination.

The Hunt-Potowomut River Basin covers about 25 square miles in East Greenwich, North Kingstown, Exeter, Coventry, West Greenwich, Warwick, and West Warwick. The streams, ponds, lakes, and wetlands in the watershed serve as important wildlife habitat, recreational resources, and water supplies for agricultural production. Significant groundwater resources underlie the watershed and remain the sole source of drinking water for North Kingstown.

DEM has given high priority to water quality issues in the Hunt River watershed. The department is currently in the process of developing a water quality restoration plan, also known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), to reduce bacterial contamination in targeted streams to acceptable levels. TMDLs are mandated by the federal Clean Water Act and establish the maximum pollutant load that a waterbody can assimilate and still meet water quality criteria.

DEM has assembled water quality data from previous studies of the Hunt River Watershed, reviewed land use in the watershed, and collected supplemental water quality data. At the December 13th stakeholder meeting, DEM will present the results of these efforts. DEM is also looking for information from all individuals familiar with the area to help identify potential sources of pollution in the watershed, as well as identifying measures that can be taken to reduce those sources. "The public's assistance is essential to the gathering of all available information," noted Alicia Good, assistant director of water resources at DEM. The North Kingstown Free Library is located at 100 Boone Street in North Kingstown. The public is encouraged to attend the meeting.

For more information about the meeting, or the TMDL program in general, contact Brian Zalewsky, DEM natural resource specialist, at 401-222-4700 ext. 7145.