The boil water notice in place for Prudence Island Water District customers since October 2018 has been lifted, the Rhode Island Department of Health said.
The advisory was issued Oct. 5, 2018, after E. coli was found in the water supply. It ends now that permanent chlorination systems at the district’s wells have been installed, activated and demonstrated safe operation.
The systems went into service Aug. 4, 2026. Over the two months since, they have maintained minimum chlorine levels at the treatment plants and throughout the distribution system, and routine testing has come back free of total coliform and E. coli. The state required that two-month record before the notice could come off.
The district first tried several corrective actions to address recurring coliform in the distribution system, but the problem persisted. The health department then required permanent chlorination at all wells along with cross connection control. The district agreed to the chlorination systems in 2021 but needed more time on cross connection control because of the pandemic and other challenges.
The state attributed the length of the project to its technical complexity and to changes in its funding source at different points in the review process, which altered the type of review required, who was involved and what compliance requirements applied.
The upgrades were ultimately paid for with a State Revolving Fund loan carrying 100 percent principal forgiveness, through a partnership between the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank and the health department.
Customers with questions can call the Prudence Island Water District at 401-683-0011. Guidance on what to do after a boil water advisory is lifted is posted on the health department’s Center for Drinking Water Quality website.
