The Cleaner, Greener, More Affordable Water Cooler for Providence

As far back as the 17th century, Providence residents have made their homes along the eastern bank of the Providence River. Originally only available from private wells, Providence drinking water was first distributed to families in 1773 through an underground system of hollowed out wooden logs. As the population swelled in the 19th century, city planners had to develop a more sophisticated distribution system. Constructed in 1871, Providence’s first water pumping system carried water directly from the Pawtuxet River without any purification or treatment.

Filtration would come later, in 1906, in the form of a slow sand system. Yet, fear of water shortage was ever present, and the need for water storage became apparent. So, in 1915, Providence installed its first reservoir, Scituate Reservoir, still a staple of the city’s water today.

Providence drinking water comes from surface water reservoirs located in a 93-square-mile forested watershed basin in Scituate, Rhode Island. Water comes from 6 interconnected reservoirs: the Scituate Reservoir, Regulating Reservoir, Barden Reservoir, Ponaganset Reservoir, Westconnaug Reservoir, and Moswansicut Reservoir.

The Providence Water system consists of approximately 1,040 miles of transmission and distribution mains, some more than a century old. Once the industry standard, older cast iron pipes are prone to corrosion and biofilm contamination, which create clusters of bacteria along the inside of the pipe. These growths often break off and travel through your pipes, resulting in cloudiness and off-taste.

Providence Water cannot control the materials used in residential plumbing, and according to a recent Providence Water Quality report, Providence Water received a violation in 2019 for failure to report one of 385 lead and copper results to sampled households within 30 days.

Likewise, in drawing water from reservoirs, the city faces certain challenges in satisfying Providence, RI residents. As water travels through and over the land, it picks up naturally occurring minerals and animal or human pollution. This often manifests as a musty or earthy odor or taste, especially after construction or lots of rain.