Our residents have had to boil their drinking water for too long.”

Robin Weber, moderator for the Prudence Island Water District

PRUDENCE ISLAND — It will take a while, but Prudence Island residents can at least look forward to the return of safe drinking water.

Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, the state’s central hub for financing infrastructure improvements for municipalities, businesses, and homeowners, in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), has closed on a $3,887,450 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to the Prudence Island Water District for the installation of a new chlorination system. The loan features 100-percent forgiveness, which means it’s essentially a grant.

Since 2018, the District’s 328 customers have been under a boil-water advisory due to the presence of total coliform in the water system.

The installation of the District’s new chlorination system is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026.

“Turning on the faucet for safe drinking water is something we often take for granted, but for the last seven years the residents of Prudence Island have been without a safe and reliable source due to contamination issues,” said William Fazioli, executive director of the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank. 

“This $3.8 million … loan will allow the Prudence Island Water District to install a new chlorination system that will restore safe drinking water for the 328 customers on the island. We are pleased to have worked closely with the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Prudence Island Water District to make this critical drinking water infrastructure project a reality,” Fazioli said.

Robin Weber, moderator for the water district, expressed her pleasure with the approval. 

“Our residents have had to boil their drinking water for too long,” said Weber. “That is why we are so thankful to the team at the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank for working with us to find a solution to pay for a new chlorination system to restore a reliable supply of safe drinking water to our customers. Thanks to their work designating Prudence Island as an underserved community, this $3.8 million project will come at no cost to our customers.”

“All Rhode Islanders deserve access to drinking water that is safe and healthy,” said RIDOH Director Jerry Larkin, MD. “Drinking water infrastructure improvement projects like this are critical to making that vision a reality.”

Funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan was provided via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.