Members of the Providence City Council passed a resolution formally opposing plans by the town of Johnston to sell water from the capital city to a proposed power plant in Burrillville. The deal is controversial because Johnston purchases water from Providence.
The resolution is largely ceremonial, and councilors heard from legal counsel, who advised there is little that can hamper the deal. Providence City Solicitor Jeffery Dana says the city is compelled to provide water to Johnston as part of a 1915 state law.
“The water has to be provided, and the only basis for restriction would be a drought, so that such restriction would be necessary to protect and conserve the water supply,” said Dana.
Officials with the Providence Water Supply Board testified the agency has no oversight over how the water is used by wholesale customers like Johnston. Currently, Johnston buys more than 500 million gallons of water a year. The town has no formal contract with the water agency, other than the 1915 state law.
Providence City Solicitor Jeffery Dana said that makes it difficult to block any action Johnston may take to sell water to a third party, such as the Burrillville power plant.
“It would require an amendment to the enabling legislation, so I don’t think the city council could pass any city ordinance that would have any impact at all,” said Dana.
Under a deal with the company Invenergy, Johnston will receive some $18 million in return for providing thousands of gallons of water to the power plant for a period of at least 20 years.
