Project ID: 2005RI32B

Title: Development of a Statewide Public Water-Supply GIS Coverage for Rhode Island

Project Type: Information Management System

Focus Categories: Management and Planning, Water Supply

Keywords: water supply, service areas, geographic information system, Rhode Island

Start Date: 03/06/2005

End Date: 02/28/2006

Federal Funds: $12,746

Non-Federal Matching Funds: $25,496

Congressional District: RI District No. 2

Principal Investigators:
Anne Veeger
University of Rhode Island

Nasir Hamidzada

Abstract

A key element of water supply infrastructure is the spatial distribution of public water-supply lines and service areas. Although spatial data exist for the 32 individual water-supplier service areas, there is no current unified statewide spatial inventory of these service areas and the existing attribute tables vary between the different datasets. The absence of a unified spatial dataset limits the ability of State agencies (i.e. Water Resources Board, Department of Health) to accurately catalog the water-supply infrastructure and develop/address planning elements related to public water supply.

This project will address this need by assembling the existing supplier-specific water line and service area spatial datasets into a unified statewide geographic information system (GIS) coverage.

The project will catalog the existing spatial data sets for supplier-specific water lines service areas and will complete the steps needed to assemble the spatial data into a unified and internally consistent spatial database of public supply service areas in Rhode Island. This unified spatial dataset with the accompanying maps and fact sheets will provide the water-supply infrastructure data needed for effective development of State Guide Plan elements and planning associated with development of state and local land-use plans, emergency drought response, emergency interconnections and supplemental water investigations.

The objectives of the project are:

· Compilation of the existing water-supply service area spatial coverages.
· Complete control analysis of individual coverages.
· Unification of individual coverages into an internally consistent state-wide spatial dataset.
· Development of maps and fact sheets for technical assistance to state/town officials and for outreach and public education.

Progress/Completion Report PDF