Estimated Water Use and Availability in the East Narragansett Bay Study Area, Rhode Island, 1995–99

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Estimated Water Use and Availability in the East Narragansett Bay Study Area, Rhode Island, 1995–99 Estimated Water Use and Availability in the East Narragansett Bay Study Area, Rhode Island, 1995–99 By Emily C. Wild Prepared in cooperation with the Rhode Island Water Resources Board Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5168 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2007 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Wild, E.C., 2007, Estimated water use and availability in the East Narragansett Bay study area: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5168, 51 p. iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2 Previous Investigations........................................................................................................................2 The East Narragansett Bay Study Area ............................................................................................6 Climate ....................................................................................................................................................7 Land Use ................................................................................................................................................7 Study-Area Regions and Minor Civil Divisions ..............................................................................10 Northeastern Narragansett Region ........................................................................................13 Southeastern Narragansett Region ........................................................................................15 East Narragansett Islands Region ..........................................................................................15 Water Use .....................................................................................................................................................16 New England Water-Use Data System ...........................................................................................18 Public Water Supply and Potable-Water Interbasin Transfers ...................................................18 Domestic Water Use ..........................................................................................................................29 Public-Supply Use .....................................................................................................................29 Self-Supply Use ..........................................................................................................................29 Commercial and Industrial Water Use ............................................................................................29 Public-Supply Use .....................................................................................................................29 Self-Supply Use ..........................................................................................................................31 Agricultural Water Use ......................................................................................................................31 Return Flow and Wastewater Interbasin Transfers ......................................................................33 Site-Specific Return Flow .........................................................................................................33 Return Flow from Wastewater-Treatment Facilities ...........................................................34 Septic-System Return Flow ......................................................................................................35 Interbasin Transfers of Wastewater .......................................................................................35 Water-Use Summary ..........................................................................................................................36 Water Availability .........................................................................................................................................37 Summer Ground-Water Availability at Selected Index Stations .................................................37 Summer Water Availability in the Regions .....................................................................................39 Water Budget ......................................................................................................................................42 Summary........................................................................................................................................................45 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................................46 Selected References ...................................................................................................................................46 Glossary .........................................................................................................................................................50 iv Figures 1. Map showing the East Narragansett Bay study area and regions, eastern Rhode Island, and the contiguous basins in Massachusetts ............................................................3 2–3. Diagrams showing— 2. The modified hydrologic cycle ...........................................................................................4 3. The components of water use ...........................................................................................5 4–5. Maps showing— 4. Surface-water reservoirs, stream-gaging stations, and wastewater-treatment- plants associated with the East Narragansett Bay study area, eastern Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, 1995–99 ......................................................12 5. Surficial geology and selected withdrawal wells for the regions in the East Narragansett Bay study area, eastern Rhode Island, 1995–99 ..................................14 6–8. Graphs showing— 6. Public-supply withdrawals, and self-supply domestic, commercial, industrial, and agricultural withdrawals for the regions in the East Narragansett Bay study area, eastern Rhode Island, 1995–99 ..............................................................................16 7. Public-supply and self-supply domestic, commercial, industrial, and agricultural- water use for the regions in the East Narragansett Bay study area, eastern Rhode Island, 1995–99 .......................................................................................................17 8. Wastewater-treatment facilities, Rhode Island Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, and self-disposed domestic, commercial, and industrial water return flow for the regions in the East Narragansett Bay study area, eastern Rhode Island, 1995–99 ....................................................................................................................17 9. Map showing Rhode Island water-supply districts in the East Narragansett Bay study area, 1995–99 ....................................................................................................................19 10–14. Diagrams showing— 10. Bristol County Water Authority withdrawals, imports, treatment, distributions, and estimated water uses in the East Narragansett Bay study area, eastern Rhode Island, 1995–99 ....................................................................................................................23 11. East Providence Water District imports, wholesale purchases, distributions, and estimated water uses in the East Narragansett Bay study area, eastern Rhode Island, 1995–99 ....................................................................................................................25 12. North Tiverton Fire District imports, wholesale purchases, distributions, and estimated water uses in the East Narragansett Bay study area, eastern Rhode Island, 1995–99 ....................................................................................................................26 13. Stone Bridge Fire District withdrawals, distributions, and estimated water uses in the East Narragansett Bay study area, 1995–99 .......................................................27 14. Newport Water Works withdrawals, distributions, and estimated water uses in the East Narragansett Bay study area and basin exports, 1995–99 ......................28 15–17. Graphs showing — 15. Water-level altitudes for Little Compton
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