Tiverton residents are served by two distinct water districts, but this may change with the town council’s vote Monday to seek General Assembly approval to merge them into one.

The town council initially discussed bill to merge the North Tiverton and Stone Bridge fire districts, which services the south side of Tiverton, earlier this month. However, that bill was set aside on Monday, Feb. 10, before being re-introduced Monday by town council vice president David Paull; Edwards had originally introduced the bill but shelved it due to his mother, Donna Edwards, being the accessor for the Stone Bridge Fire District Water Department.

Paull said Monday that merging the two districts would be more efficient, and would help address infrastructural concerns in the Stone Bridge Fire District — residents of South Tiverton have expressed concerns about poor water pressure in the area.

“It's no secret that Stone Bridge has very poor infrastructure,” Paull said, adding that it doesn’t make sense for a small town like Tiverton to have two competing water services, especially when one of these services is of poorer quality.

Residents of North Tiverton were not happy with the proposed merger when it was first proposed earlier this month.

Patricia Aguiar, of North Tiverton, expressed her displeasure with the possible move, saying that the people of North Tiverton have paid more attention to their water district infrastructure and should not have to pay because the other side of town has not.

“I'm sick of zoning and everything else trying to change our way of life and making it miserable at that end while the other end gets all the gravy,” Aguiar said.

Others, including residents Richard St. Pierre and Robert Fazzina, said the south side of Tiverton would receive the majority of the water, causing residents on the north side to pay the same taxes for less water.

On Monday, Deborah Janick questioned the legality of the council even being involved, as neither water district is under the control of the town council.  However, the motion to request that Tiverton’s legislative delegation take legislative action to merge the two water districts passed 3-2, with Craig Committo also voting in opposition.