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Show RHODE ISLAND 653 Other responsibilities of the director relating to water quality control include: (1) The administration of a State program of fi- nancial assistance to local governments for pollution prevention and abatement, including the administration of loans and grants from the Federal Government,18 (2) the collection and dissemination of information relating to water pollution control and abatement;" (3) encouragement and participation in studies and research relating to the causes of water pollution and water pollution control and abatement;18 (4) advising, consulting and cooperating with other agencies of the State, the Federal Government, other States and interstate agencies in water pollution control matters;19 and, (5) exercising all incidental powers necessary to carry out the purposes of the water pollution act.20 The department of health is also responsible for protecting drink- ing water supplies,21 and may issue orders to prevent the contamina- tion of water sources which are used for drinking purposes.22 Apart from the statutory control over water quality, the individual riparian owner is entitled to receive the waters of a watercourse with- out a substantial diminution in the quality of the water, and any riparian owner who unreasonably contaminates the water of a stream is liable to other riparian owners who are damaged by his action.23 b. OTHER WATER RESOURCE RESPONSIBILITIES The water resource board has a number of important functions relating to the management of the water resources of the State. This board is composed of the director of the department of natural re- sources, the director of the department of community affairs, the director of the department of health, the chairman of the joint committee on water resources and five other persons appointed by the Governor.24 The board is authorized to formulate a long-range plan for the development of the State's water resources and for distribution systems needed to furnish water to regional or local water agencies. The board is to formulate a program to implement the plan which it develops. Further, it is to provide for the co- operative development, conservation and use of the State's water resource through State, municipal and privately owned water sys- tems.26 The board must give its approval before any agency or com- pany engaged in the distribution of water for domestic purposes may acquire a water supply, or condemn lands for distribution fa- cilities, or extend its operation.28 One particularly interesting fea- ture of this statute is the requirement that if the board determines that the source of water being sought by the applicant should be used to supply another area of the State, it may require the applicant to supply water to that area of the State as a condition of using a "Sees. 46-12-3(d) and 46-12-33. "Sec. 46-12-3(f). 18 Sec. 46-12-3 (e). «Sec. 46-12-3 (c). 20 Sec. 46-12-3 (o). aChs. 46-13 and 46-14. 22 Sec. 46-14-2. 88 Payne & Butler v. Providence Gas Co., 31 R.I. 295, 77 Atl. 145 (1910). * Sec. 46-15-2. «Secs. 46-15-6 (c) and (d). 26 Sec. 46-15-7. |
