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Smithfield Water Supply Board

 

WELCOME CUSTOMERS OF THE
SMITHFIELD WATER SUPPLY BOARD

Our Annual Drinking Water Quality Report or Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is available at our offices, 3 Spragueville Rd., Monday through Friday, 8AM – 3 PM. It is also available at the Smithfield and North Providence libraries. This report is designed to inform you about the quality of the water you drink. It details the efforts we, and others make to ensure that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements. It is published pursuant to the US EPA’s 1996 Safe Water Drinking Act as Amended. Any questions may be called in at 233-1034.

Water Commissioner
Smithfield Water Supply Board

Download or view the 2021 Consumer Confidence Report in PDF format
Consumer Confidence Report 2022 – Covering Calendar Year 2021
Report updated/revised online 6-1-2022

Looking for reports from other water districts in town?
Providence Water  – Greenville Water District

Smithfield Water Supply Board Advisory Commission

April 6, 2020 – Update on the progress with the
Water Storage Tank Rehabilitation Project (.pdf)

Smithfield Water Supply Board Rates, Rules, and Regulations (.pdf)
Adopted November 5, 2019

Final Water Closing Meter Reading Form (.pdf)

Copper & Lead Testing (.pdf)
updated September 2022

Historical Background & System Summary 

A Water Supply Commission for the Town of Smithfield was authorized and established by Chapter 1676, 1930 Public Laws of Rhode Island, charged with the responsibility to make “an accurate and comprehensive study of the water supply of the Town of Smithfield”. Subsequent legislation delineated the service area of the Smithfield Water Supply Board (SWSB).

In 1963-64, the Longview Pump Station (fed by the Providence Water Supply Board), and a twelve-inch diameter cast iron transmission line in Smithfield Road (N. Providence) was constructed. This transmission line traverses along Ridge Road (Smithfield) to the Rocky Hill one million gallon storage tank. In addition to the Rocky Hill Storage Tank, the Island Woods four million gallon storage tank was put into service in 1993. As part of the US EPA Superfund project, completed in 1997, there exists an additional 20,000 feet of twelve-inch transmission line in Log Road and adjacent roadways, along with a 300,000 gallon storage tank on Burlingame Road. Also, this project included the construction of two new booster pumping stations (Limerock Rd., Log Rd.) and appurtenances as well as the complete retrofitting of the existing Longview Pump Station.

Today, the SWSB includes approximately two hundred fifteen thousand feet (41 miles) of transmission and distribution water mains of varying materials and sizes.

As of 2019, the SWSB serves 1,416 residential meters, 129 commercial meters and 40 industrial meters, and has an approximate capacity of 1.8 million gallons per day. Of this, North Providence has 473 meters, 70 of which serve 1,083 apartments, and consume approximately 220,000 gallons per day. The 40 industrial meters, billed monthly, consume approximately 321,000 gallons per day. The SWSB also provides at a wholesale rate, to the Providence Water Supply Board, 27,000 gallons per day on average to the East Smithfield area of town.

In October 2017, the Smithfield Town Council passed Ordinance Number 2017-07. This Ordinance created the Smithfield Water Supply Board Advisory Commission, a five-member volunteer body that analyzes and advises the Water Supply Board on policy and on major operating and investment issues. These issues include the rates and regulations contained herein.

As of 2019, on a peak demand summer day, the over-all system operates at 79% of capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often am I billed?
Quarterly for residential and small use non-residential customers. Monthly for large use non-residential customers.

May I pay my bill at your office?
No. Bills are paid by mail (64 Farnum Pike, Smithfield, RI 02917) or in person at the Treasurer’s Office at Town Hall at 64 Farnum Pike during normal business hours. Bills can also be paid online by following the link on the bill. 

I have a real estate closing, what do I do?
Contact us several days before the closing to arrange for a final “inside the house” meter reading or you can fill out our form (.pdf).

Where does my water come from?
All our water is supplied by the reservoir system of the Providence Water Supply Board. We have no wells. See our Annual Drinking Water Quality Report or Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) linked above.

How may I learn more about my water?
Contact us for our most recent annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) or view past years at the Atlantic States Rural Water & Wastewater Association web site.

How do get a water saving conservation kit for my residence?
The kits are available at the Department of Public Works Garage, Monday through Friday, 7:30am – 3:00pm.

Where can I go for more information?

Goals

  • To maintain the highest quality potable water.
  • To maintain fire flow protection for both residential and industrial users.
  • To maintain a cost effective system user rate structure..
  • To continue a water conservation plan for system users.
  • To continue implementation of the Capital Improvement Plan.
  • To retrofit system devices/appurtenances to comply with applicable codes.
  • To increase system capacity.
  • To expand system service area.
  • Emergency interconnection with the Greenville Water Department.

Smithfield Water Supply Board Advisory Commission

The Water Supply Board Advisory Commission was established by the Town Council on April 3, 2018 as Chapter 55 of the Town’s ordinances. 

The Town of Smithfield’s Water Supply Board Advisory Commission, the “Advisory Commission”, advises the town’s Council on matters concerning the supply of public water to its customers. As charged, the general duties and purposes of the Smithfield Water Supply Board Advisory Commission per Chapter 55-5 are listed below along with the status and accomplishments towards these goals.

A.  Study and report on the present and future operations of the Water Department;

Status: Current efforts are focusing on providing routine financial snapshot reports to permit financial oversight and budgetary visibility.

Public Visibility has also been enhanced by improving the web-site information available to the public.

B.  Study and report on present and future water rates, including the tier system and an infrastructure charge;

Status: Completed – Water Advisory Commission forwarded recommendation to the Town Council on May 13, 2019 for consideration. A copy of the Rate Study can be seen here (Link)

C.  Study and report on the current and future infrastructure needs of the Water Department, including any bonding which may be required;

Status:  Current Projects in progress;

  1. Pare Engineering contracted to design storage tanks upgrades and recoating – bonded $3.M
  2. Funding to establish capital funds within proposed rate structure to include $1.4 M project – project to be determined – capital
  3. Capital Projects Evaluation – Pare Corp.
  4. 2011 Clean Water infrastructure Replacement Plan Update – Pare Corp.

Status; Recently completed Projects

  1. Pare Engineering contracted to develop existing pipe assessment and replacement plan.
  2. Pare Engineering developing a water layer in the town’s GIS system.
  3. Pare Engineering evaluated and update the town’s hydraulic model based on item 1 and item 2 being updated.

D.  Study and report on potential additional sources of water, including possible interconnections with Lincoln and North Smithfield;

Status:

Providence Water Supply (PWS) is interested in providing more water to both Lincoln and Smithfield. Very preliminary designs have begun to design supply mains.

Lincoln – Lincoln is evaluating supply of additional water in the summer months and have started very preliminary designs on the construction of a pump station to bring the water from PWS.

The above mains and pump station being designed will handle up to an additional 1,000,000 gallons per day for Smithfield, through a pump station along Rte. 116 that we would construct, if Smithfield elects to connect in the future.

The North Smithfield water source option was dismissed due to concerns of mixing groundwater supply with Providence Water Supply and potential chemical reactions that could lead to poor water quality.

Also being evaluated as part of the Capital Evaluation Project is potential benefits of an interconnection with the Greenville Water Supply.

E.  Study and report on the possible pipe swap with the Providence Water Supply Board at the Longview Pump Station and the possible transfer of North Providence customers to Providence Water;

Status: In a recent meeting with Providence Water Supply they stated that they would be interested in taking over the North Providence customers through re-tapping the main feed to their 16” main, however, they are not interest in swapping the 16” main for the 12” main.

F.  Study and report on the Woodcock study and the possible merger with the Greenville Water District;

Status: Completed – Letter forwarded to the Town Council from the Water Advisory Board referencing the August 28, 2018 letter from the Greenville Water District removing themselves from the Study. (Link to letter)

G.  Study and report on possible revisions and updates to the Smithfield Water Supply Board rules and regulations;

Status: Completed – Water Advisory Commission forwarded recommendations on revised Rate, Rules and Regulations to the Town Council for consideration on March 19, 2019. (Link to recommended R&R)

H.  Study and consult with Water Board engineers and report on possible infrastructure needs for the EGO zone; and

Status: Next step – Review updated hydraulic model with Pare Engineering to determine if water quality and main looping recommendations, from Pare 2017 report, are still prioritized appropriately, or if other options are available to supply water to the EGO zone, i.e. Providence Water now has East Smithfield System which runs parallel to SWSB system, Greenville Water District additional connections could provide needed hydraulic improvements. This will be evaluated during the Capital Evaluation Project.

I.  Perform any other water- related functions assigned to the Commission by the Town Council.

            Status: No additional functions at this time