Could a Boston-Style Water Disaster Happen Here?
Monday, May 03, 2010
While Boston and surrounding communities are facing a drinking water emergency that may take days or weeks to repair, Providence city officials say that steps that they have taken over the past six years minimize the possibility of the same thing happening in Providence.
GoLocalProv has learned that a new pumping station and separation valve constructed by the City of Providence during the past six years reduces the risk of a Boston-type of incident.
“I don’t know all the details of what has happened in Boston, but Providence has two major pipes supplying water from the Scituate Reservoir. In the case of a similar situation we would be able to shut one down and operate with just one,” said Alix Ogden, Director of Operations for the City of Providence.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTPresently, the Providence Water Supply Board provides the drinking water to more than 600,000 Rhode Islanders. According to Washington DC-based Environmental Working Group (EWG), the quality of Providence’s drinking water is ranked number two in the nation in a report the group released in December studying cities with the best-quality drinking water.
