$24,915.00 PRESENTED TODAY TO THE HARRISVILLE FIRE DISTRICT FOR WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
PROVIDENCE - The Rhode Island Water Resources Board Corporate (RIWRB) recently approved to make available $24,915.00 to the Harrisville Fire District (HFD) to be used to complete the replacement of their Well #1. These funds stem from the issuance of Revenue Bonds in 2002 for the RI Public Drinking Water Protection Program. The $24,915.00 is their first installment of a total allotment of $47,181 in Phase III of the program. The check presentation announcing the successful accomplishments of this program took place today at 10:00 a.m. at the Eccleston Field Pump Station in Harrisville located on Callahan School Street in Harrisville, Rhode Island.
"We're excited and look forward to delivering these monies to the HFD" said M. Paul Sams, General Manager of the (RIWRB). 'These funds will help the Fire District make necessary water quality improvements in their water system which further protects the publics' health and welfare", added Mr. Sams.
"The monies will be used for the design, construction and installation associated with replacing well #1, which is essential to ensure the District's ability to provide good quality water to its citizens and will help bring back HFD's water system to its fundamental design position to meet its maximum day demand," said Don Mehrtens, Chairman of the HFD. "This project is part of an ongoing mission to protect the system's water supply quality and would not have been done as quickly and extensively without the assistance of the State Water Resources Board," added Mr. Mehrtens. In total, HFD has received under this program over $115,000.00 from the (RIWRB).
"We're thrilled about issuing this first installment to HFD and proud of the accomplishments this program has taken which were realized through foresight, hard work, and collaboration between the Board's various departments or committees and Rhode Island's water quality protection community," said M. Paul Sams, General Manager of the (RIWRB). "The programs objectives of protecting the quality and safety of the publics' drinking water supply not only for today, but also for future generations of Rhode Islanders is an on-going process and is surely being realized as evidenced by the results of Phase II & I of this program", added Mr. Sams. In Phase's II and I of the program, funds in the amount of $18,343,382 were used for watershed protection and water quality improvement projects, which included the purchasing and preserving of 2410 acres of Open Space lands.
***The Rhode Island Water Resources Board Corporate has as one of its' objectives to protect the quality and safety of the public drinking water supply by providing revenue bonding for the acquisition of properties surrounding watersheds and water supply facilities for the municipal water suppliers.