Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID RI_2024_2

Septic-groundwater interaction: water table variability over seasons and storms in Charlestown, RI

Institute: Rhode Island
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $26,403 Total Non-Federal Funds: $31,586

Principal Investigators: Chrisopher Russoniello

Project Summary: This project will study how well septic systems (OWTS) work when the water table change due to storms or seasons. OWTS use the soil to clean the water, so it's important to know how deep the water table is to design the system correctly. The researchers will put special tools in the ground to measure how high or low the water is, and they will also take water samples to see if the system is working well at different times of the year. They will use a computer program to help them understand how the changes in water affect the system. This study is important because it will help people who live near the coast make decisions about how to protect their water and keep it clean. The researchers want to make sure that the septic systems continue to work well, even as the climate and land use change over time.