Ground water

The principal aquifers are stratified-drift deposits in valleys and lowlands that are hydraulically connected to surface-water bodies. In the Ten Mile River basin, the thickest deposits of stratified drift occur along river valleys and lowlands. In the Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay Shore basins, the most favorable areas for ground-water development are located in the lower Palmer River valley, along the middle and upper reaches of the East Branch Westport River, along the Runnins River, and around Central Pond. The aquifers in the towns of Seekonk and Swansea and in the Cole River valley in Dighton generally do not have the saturated thickness or permeability necessary to yield large supplies of water. Smaller deposits of sand and gravel that locally have large yields are present under some lake-bottom deposits. However, aquifers in the coastal basins have only moderate potential for ground-water development and surface water will continue to be the primary source for public-water supplies.

Bedrock west of the Taunton River is mainly composed of sedimentary rocks and some coal. The most favorable sites for obtaining water from bedrock in this area are along faults, fractures, and contacts between sedimentary and igneous rocks. Industrial wells in sedimentary rocks generally yield more than wells in igneous rocks. In general, yields from bedrock wells in the Ten Mile River and Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay Shore basins range from 0.2 and 300 gal/min, and average about 8 gal/min.