RI WUNDR
Rhode Island Water Use Needs, Data and Reporting
A database developed to further the mission of the RI Water Resources Board (RIWRB) - to assure that Rhode Island has enough fresh, clean water, now and in the future
Background

  • Public Water Systems (PWS) withdraw water either from surface water reservoirs or groundwater well sources and distribute drinking water to customers across the state.
  • There are 495 active PWS in the state, 454 own/operate a total of 639 surface water intakes or groundwater wells, 41 PWS are distribution systems (these systems purchase water from another PWS).
  • 18 PWS are defined as large because they withdraw greater than 50 million gallons each year, and these systems are required to report monthly withdrawals to the RIWRB.
  • 436 PWS are defined as small because they withdraw less than 50 million gallons each year. They are not required to report, and monthly withdrawals included in WUNDR are estimated.
  • The RIWRB is charged with managing the withdrawal and use of waters of the state. The RIWRB has completed projects with various partners to compile, research, analyze, and report on source water quantity and quality in order to properly manage water resources across the State (2012 WRB Strategic Plan, Water 2030, several USGS reports and products).
  • The WUNDR database will help the RIWRB to better track and analyze the use of water from source to tap.

Developed by the Rhode Island Water Resources Board in collaboration with the Department of Geosciences at the University of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Geological Survey. This work was funded through a USGS Water-Use Data and Research Program Grant #G20AC00340. Auxillary data provided by the Rhode Island Department of Health's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS).