North Kingstown Water Department
Mission Statement
It is the duty of the Department of Water Supply to provide water of adequate quality and quantity to our customers and to ensure that the Town water supply meets water quality standards as defined by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Water Supply
The water supply for the Town comes from 11 gravel-packed groundwater wells located in the Hunt-Annaquatucket-Pettaquamscutt Sole Source Aquifer.
Distribution
The North Kingstown Department of Water Supply is a municipally owned and operated water utility providing both domestic water and fire protection to a population of approximate24,000 people.
Distribution System
In addition to the municipal wells, the Department is responsible for maintenance of a distribution system consisting of:
- 5 storage tanks
- 2 booster stations
- 1,045 fire hydrants
- 177 miles of distribution piping
To see the Well Station Rehabilitation and Summary of Completed Repairs, click the link below.
Well Repairs PDF
Leak Detection
As of 10/20/2025:
Previous Reports:
Groundwater Forum
View the report on North Kingstown Groundwater Resources Forum (PDF).
Funding
The Water Department is operated as an Enterprise Fund, meaning that all funding comes from user fees. No tax dollars support the Water Department. The department employs 13 full-time and one part-time employee.
Staff Licensure
All Water Department staff, with the exception of two (2) clerical positions, must maintain Rhode Island Drinking Water Operator Licenses in both Distribution and Treatment.
Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Inspections
Locate a qualified 2025 Town Approved OWTS inspector (PDF)
Conservation Committee Update:
The North Kingstown Department of Water Supply, along with all other public water systems in the U.S., regularly test for PFAS/PFOA in our drinking water resources. In North Kingstown, we regularly test our wells and ensure that all water going into our distribution system are well below the Rhode Island standard of 20 parts per trillion which is roughly equivalent to a few drops in an Olympic sized swimming pool. Since PFAS/PFOA levels are connected to public health, we take this topic very seriously and are constantly reviewing the new literature on the subject. Below are a few links from both the EPA and state of RI discussing the topic that we found very helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the North Kingstown Department of Water Supply.
View Commission Member Information Here.
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-10/final-virtual-pfas-explainer-508.pdf
https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/research-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
https://health.ri.gov/water/about/pfas/
https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/questions-and-answers-drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-pfos-genx-chemicals-and-pfbs
