Permits the town of Tiverton to require additional testing, to be performed by and at the expense of the developer, to ensure that there is no dewatering or loss of effective recharge to surrounding wells within close proximity of the new construction.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would give the town of Tiverton, Rhode Island, a specific legal tool to protect local water supplies when new housing developments are built nearby. Under the bill, Tiverton could require developers to conduct additional testing to make sure their construction projects are not draining or reducing the water available to nearby private wells. Importantly, the cost of this testing would fall on the developer, not the town or local taxpayers.

The bill appears to be connected to Rhode Island's low and moderate income housing laws, which generally require towns to approve certain affordable housing projects. This legislation would allow Tiverton to add an extra layer of water-related review as part of that process, giving the town more ability to ensure that new construction does not harm the water access of existing nearby residents who rely on private wells.

The people most directly affected would be Tiverton residents who own homes with private wells near new construction sites, as well as developers who plan to build in the town. Residents could benefit from greater protection of their water supply, while developers would take on the added responsibility and financial cost of the required testing. The bill has been introduced and referred to the Senate Housing and Municipal Government committee, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken.