<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Calibri Light";
panose-1:2 15 3 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Mastrati, Gail (DEM)
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, October 05, 2016 2:56 PM<br>
<b>Subject:</b> PUBLIC WORKSHOP NEXT WEEK ON STUDY OF AQUIDNECK ISLAND’S DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">PUBLIC WORKSHOP NEXT WEEK ON STUDY
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">OF AQUIDNECK ISLAND’S DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></u></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will hold a public workshop next week to review a study that will guide improvements
to Aquidneck Island’s drinking water supplies. The Newport Water System – which provides water to Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth – draws its supplies from nine reservoirs in Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, Little Compton and Tiverton. While the System’s
treated drinking water remains safe, these source reservoirs commonly experience algal and cyanobacteria blooms, making treatment more complicated and costly. During the workshop, DEM will review and gather feedback on its study to address the underlying
pollution causing these blooms. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:45.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-45.0pt">
<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">WHAT:</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> Review of
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/quality/rest/pdfs/nptstudy.pdf"><i><span lang="EN">Source Water Protection Initiative for Newport’s Drinking Water Reservoirs</span></i></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:45.0pt;text-indent:-45.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:45.0pt;text-indent:-45.0pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">WHERE:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> Town Council Chambers<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:45.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Middletown Town Hall<br>
350 East Main Road<br>
Middletown, Rhode Island<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:45.0pt;text-indent:-45.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:45.0pt;text-indent:-45.0pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">WHEN:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> Thursday, October 13, 2016 | 6:00 p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:45.0pt;text-indent:-45.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">DEM and RIDOH
</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">is conducting the <i>
Source Water Protection Initiative for Newport's Drinking Water Reservoirs </i>study to guide efforts to restore water quality in the ponds, facilitating drinking water treatment and improving conditions for aquatic life. The study involves all nine supply
reservoirs: South Easton Pond in Newport; North Easton Pond, Gardiner Pond, and Paradise Pond in Middletown; Lawton Valley Reservoir, St. Mary’s Pond, and Sisson Pond in Portsmouth; Nonquit Pond in Tiverton; and Watson Reservoir in Little Compton.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">As part of the study, an action plan will be developed for reducing the amount of pollution coming into these waters via stormwater runoff, animal waste, fertilizer,
and other pollutants. DEM has conducted water quality studies of the nine reservoirs and two tributary streams, Maidford River and Paradise Brook. DEM will be reporting on the results of these studies at the workshop. This effort builds on previous water
treatment investments made by the Newport Water System that have greatly enhanced drinking water quality. Nearly 70,000 people on Aquidneck Island rely on the Newport Water System for their drinking water.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">DEM has also been working closely with its partners on related projects designed to protect these valuable resources. Representatives from Newport Water,
Town of Middletown, Aquidneck Land Trust, and Aquidneck Island Planning Commission will present updates on these efforts at next week’s workshop.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">For more information on the
<a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/water/quality/rest/pdfs/nptstudy.pdf">
<i>Source Water Protection Initiative for Newport's Drinking Water Reservoirs</i></a>, visit
<a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov">www.dem.ri.gov</a>. Follow DEM on Facebook at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM" target="_blank">
www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM</a> or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">-30-<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>