Workshops

The workshops described below are targeted at home owners or local municipal officials. However, it might be worthwhile to review all workshop series for a complete listing. Please check back frequently for additions to these series.

Workshops for home owners

Workshops for local officials

Drinking Water Protection Workshops for Home Owners

These Programs are sponsored by the URI Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program (visit the home link above) and Rhode Island Department of Health in addition to local agencies and organizations.

All Programs are 7-9 PM
Pre-Registration is REQUIRED as space is limited. Programs are FREE.

During this workshop you will learn how you can protect your private well through:
Regular Testing
Private Well Maintenance
Good Housekeeping Practices for Protecting Your Private Well

Private Well Workshop Calendar

Drinking Water Protection Workshops for Local Officials

RI HEALTH and RI NEMO are offering the following programs for those who make land-use decisions, including municipal staff and council, board members, and commission members. The workshops focus on managing watersheds and aquifer recharge areas to protect drinking water supplies and other critical water resources. All workshops are free of charge, with support by the RI HEALTH Capacity Development Program.

How Changing Land Use Affects Water Quality
This workshop addresses how changing land use affects water flow and increases pollution risk. It focuses on indicators such as impervious cover, shoreline buffers and nutrient loading, and it provides a brief overview of management practices that can be incorporated into regulations. The workshop can be customized using local source water assessment results.

Length: 20 minutes if scheduled during a regular meeting and focusing on assessment results;
1 ½ hours to more fully address local SWAP (Source Water Assessment Program) recommendations and management practices.

How Local Actions Can Protect Water Quality
Are your land use ordinances protecting future water quality as your community grows? This workshop describes current practices for controlling development impacts and discusses how to incorporate these into local zoning and land development standards. The workshop emphasizes the need for town action beyond state minimum standards, and it offers questions to ask in project review. The workshop can be customized to address topics of local interest. Follow up assistance also may be available to support the adoption of updated water resource protection measures.

Length: 1 ½ hours but flexible depending upon topics selected.

Using Computer Generated Maps in Project Review
You don’t need to be a computer whiz to take advantage of Geographic Information System (GIS) maps in local planning and project review. This workshop describes how to use readily available GIS maps or create your own using internet resources. It provides step-by-step directions so boards or developers can evaluate site suitability and visualize potential impacts in early project review, emphasizing site context. Hands-on practice in using the RIDEM internet map server is available by request, in cooperation with Paul Jordan, RIDEM.

Length: 20-minute introduction to GIS only, or complete 2-hour session about project review.

How Do I Schedule a Drinking Water Workshop?

Municipal workshops are scheduled by request, for one or more communities, with the program customized to the community. "Host" communities are expected to help organize the meeting and promote local participation.

To schedule a workshop in your community,contact: Lisa Philo at 874-5687 or lphilo@uri.edu.