H 7872Water Resources

Waters and Navigation - Public Drinking Water Supply

This bill imposes steep fines on water suppliers for unsafe water conditions and for failing to fix outages quickly.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Corporations

Plain-English Summary

This bill updates the laws regarding public drinking water supplies. It establishes a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per day for water systems that fail to correct unsafe or contaminated water conditions within set time limits. Additionally, the bill introductes strict fines for unplanned service interruptions. If a water supplier fails to restore service to at least 90% of customers within four hours of an outage, they must pay $250 per customer for each additional hour of delay, up to $5,000 per customer per day. Exceptions are made for uncontrollable events or hardship.

For younger readers

This law is about making sure everyone has safe water to drink at home. If the water company has dirty or unsafe water and doesn't fix it fast enough, they will have to pay a very large fine. Also, if the water stops working suddenly (an outage), the company has four hours to turn it back on for most people. If they take longer than four hours, they have to pay a lot of money for every hour they are late. This is to make sure water companies work hard to keep the water running.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Public Water SuppliersWater Utility CustomersDepartment of HealthMunicipal GovernmentsBusiness Owners

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Protecting public health by mandating strict financial penalties for water suppliers who fail to correct unsafe or contaminated water conditions, ensuring corporations prioritize safety over profits.
Ensures reliable access to essential services for vulnerable communities by imposing heavy fines for prolonged service interruptions, preventing negligence in infrastructure maintenance.
Directs penalty funds into the general fund, ensuring that money collected from negligent utility providers benefits the public rather than staying within the utility sector.
The "hardship" waiver grants the Director of Health too much discretion, potentially allowing negligent companies to avoid fines and accountability for failing the community.
Fines levied against water suppliers could be passed down to consumers in the form of higher water rates, which would disproportionately harm low-income households.
Small, municipal-owned water systems might be financially devastated by these steep per-customer fines, potentially leading to the degradation of public ownership and forcing privatization.

For Conservatives

Enforces strict accountability and contractual performance on service providers, ensuring that entities failing to deliver agreed-upon services face real consequences.
Protects business owners and homeowners from the economic loss associated with prolonged water outages by incentivizing rapid repair and restoration of services.
Establishes clear, codified penalties for specific failures, supporting the rule of law and reducing ambiguity regarding the consequences of poor service.
Imposes excessive government regulations and draconian fines on utility providers, which interferes with operational management and free enterprise.
The strict four-hour window for restoration is an arbitrary government mandate that ignores the practical and technical realities of complex infrastructure repair.
Grants the government broad power to define "unsafe" conditions and levy massive fines, creating a mechanism that could be weaponized by regulators against specific businesses or districts.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 13 additions

SECTION 1. Section 46-13-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 46-13 entitled "Public Drinking Water Supply" is hereby amended to read as follows: 46-13-10. Correction of unsafe conditions. When the water from a public water supply system is not safe, potable, or is subject to contamination as determined by the director, the person maintaining the public water supply system shall take immediate action to correct sanitary defects, improve operation, provide necessary water treatment, or make any other changes or additions necessary to provide safe and potable water. Failure to do so, within the time limits set by the director under the rules and regulations promulgated by the department of health pursuant to § 46-13-18, and after the hearing provided by § 46-13-12, shall result in a civil penalty not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000). Each day of non-compliance shall constitute a separate violation.

SECTION 2. Chapter 46-13 of the General Laws entitled "Public Drinking Water Supply" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 46-13-23. Penalties for extended service interruptions. Any public water supplier that fails to restore continuous service to at least ninety percent (90%) of affected customers within four (4) hours after an unplanned outage, unless caused by force majeure, shall pay a civil penalty of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per customer for each additional hour of delay, up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) per customer, per day. Said fines shall be deposited into the general fund and shall in no way limit recovery of other fines and recovered damages. The director of health may adjust or waive the civil penalty based on hardship, or noncompliance for reasons beyond the reasonable control of the water supplier acting in good faith.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.