The location where Narragansett and South Kingstown residents who are affected by the current boil water advisory can get bottles filled with clean water has been moved from the Kingston Fire Station on Bills Road to West Kingston Park, located at 3840 Kingstown Road, in West Kingston. Residents from both Narragansett and South Kingstown are welcome at this filling station from 8:30 am to 5 p.m. This location change is being made so that water will be available at a more accessible site.
Assistance is available for the elderly, people with disabilities, or others who are unable to leave their homes to get bottled water. Narragansett residents in need of assistance for these reasons should contact 401-789-1091. South Kingstown residents in need of assistance for these reasons should contact 401-789-9331. Individuals who live in the affected areas of Narragansett and South Kingstown are also encouraged to check on their neighbors and friends who may need assistance.
Since August 31st, a boil water advisory has been in place for customers of five public water systems serving parts of Narragansett and South Kingstown (Suez Water; Narragansett-Point Judith; Narragansett-North End; South Kingstown-South Shore; South Kingstown-Middlebridge). The advisory was put in place because E. coli bacteria was found in the water supply. There is no change to the advisory, and all customers should continue to boil water until the advisory is lifted. The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has not seen an unusual amount of gastrointestinal illness ( the type of illness associated with E. coli) in Narragansett and South Kingstown.
In addition to monitoring for illness, RIDOH and other state agencies have taken a number of steps to support residents and business owners. These have included working with school leadership to ensure the availability of water for students, visiting restaurants and other food establishments to ensure that food service managers have the most up-to-date information, and coordinating with nursing homes and other community contacts for the elderly.
The water systems are conducting an investigation to find the source of the contamination and will take corrective action to fix the problem once it is identified. The systems originally expected to have the investigation and corrective actions completed by Wednesday. This process is proceeding on schedule, and RIDOH anticipates that resampling will begin on Wednesday. Test results showing the absence of bacteria in the water are required every day for three days in a row before RIDOH can lift the advisory.
What should consumers do? The five systems' customers should boil vigorously, for at least one minute, all water used for consumption. Alternatively, customers can use bottled water. These recommendations pertain to water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Infants and young children should not be bathed in this water because they may swallow it accidentally. Anyone else using this water for bathing or showering should be careful to avoid swallowing the water. Additional guidance is available online. Separate guidance is available for restaurants and other food establishments. Food establishments with additional questions can call the RIDOH Office of Food Protection at 401-222-2749 or 401-222-2750.
Who should be contacted with questions? Consumers with questions should continue to call the contact numbers designated for their water systems.
- Suez Water: 401-789-0271 (primary) or 401-316-2201 (secondary) - Narragansett-Point Judith: Call Town Hall at 401-782-0639 during open business hours, M-F, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After hours and holidays, call 401-789-1091 for the Narragansett Police dispatch line. - Narragansett-North End: Call Town Hall at 401-782-0639 during open business hours, M-F, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After hours and holidays, call 401-789-1091 for the Narragansett Police dispatch line. - South Kingstown-South Shore: 401-789-9331 (South Kingstown Town Hall) - South Kingstown-Middlebridge: 401-789-9331 (South Kingstown Town Hall)