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The continued urbanization of the
Pawcatuck Basin raises concern about the ability of
the municipalities in the region to maintain this high
quality and continue to grow.
DEM has identified ten (10) sites
of known or potential ground water contamination within
Westerly. These sites include the Town landfill and
sewage treatment plant, three (3) local industrial discharges,
one leaking underground fuel storage tank, and two (2)
salt storage areas. The water threats map shows the
location of the known and potential contamination sites
and general areas of ground water degradation. The wellhead
survey map at the right also provides information about
specific potential contaminants within each wellhead
protection area.
The quality of the Pawcatuck Basin's
ground water is generally good to excellent, but there
are isolated areas of contamination. Historically, a
number of parameters rank consistently higher in the
Westerly aquifer than in other, less urbanized aquifers.
Slightly elevated concentrations of lead, Nitrate, Trichloroethene,
Lindane, and Coliform have been reported for the wells
located in Westerly.
Westerly's latest drinking water
crisis began when a water test on December 7 revealed
traces of E. coli bacteria in the Bradford II well.
For more information on this issue, click
here.
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(click on map
to enlarge)
Source: RIGIS
(click on map
to enlarge and
learn about contaminants within each wellhead protection
area)
Source: RI Dept.
of Health and RIGIS
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