Cranston
Cranston, RI water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
Cranston is a small but growing city and the 3rd-largest in Rhode Island, home to roughly 81,073 residents. Cranston's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Rhode Island: Scituate Reservoir and groundwater.
As elsewhere in Rhode Island, the central challenge is aging infrastructure. A compact, reservoir-fed system with infrastructure-age as the leading concern.
Rhode Island reuses an estimated 3% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; Cranston tracks moderate to severe drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Rhode Island profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Cranston below.
At a glance
- Population ~81,073 (3rd-largest in Rhode Island)
- Primary sources: Scituate Reservoir and groundwater
- Drought: moderate to severe conditions
- State reuse rate: ~3% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Rhode Island in severe+ drought (Severe (D2) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Cranston?
Cranston is served by community water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Statewide, 34.4% of Rhode Island's systems have a recent health-based violation. Check your provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report for local results.
Where does Cranston get its water?
Cranston draws from the same regional sources that serve Rhode Island: Scituate Reservoir, groundwater.