Protecting the drinking water supply of Conanicut Island, RI - Community advocacy at its best

This is a case study of how a group of concerned citizens residing on Conanicut Island, RI successfully organized and advocated for the safety and adequacy of their drinking water supply in response to a series of planning and development proposals introduced by town policymakers. The Conanicut Concerned Citizens (CCC) believed that their local policymakers were planning to make decisions that would threaten their drinking water including the remediation of the former town dump and the use and cumulative impact of residential septic systems on the water supply. Additional threats to the drinking water supply included a twenty percent population increase during the summer months, periodic droughts, salt water intrusion, lack of available emergency water sources and long term off-island water supply, and the unique geological formations of the aquifer. Having safe and adequate drinking water continues to be an important public health challenge in the 21st century. This is particularly true for island communities in certain parts of the United States. Responsibility for assuring a safe and adequate drinking water supply is often defaulted to elected officials and public administrators. The importance of community members taking responsibility for the future of their own drinking water cannot be overstated. The CCC, facing political resistance, was able to obtain EPA sole source aquifer designation, a key component toward protecting their drinking water from contamination. How the CCC successfully organized and addressed their concerns through the political and administrative processes can serve as an example for others to follow.