Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID NJ_2025_ZHANG

Assessing Compound Flooding Risks on Southern New Jersey Coastal Wastewater Treatment Plants under Projected Climate Variability

Institute: New Jersey
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $25,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $25,000

Principal Investigators: Cheng Zhang

Project Summary: The southern New Jersey coast is at high risk of flooding caused by a combination of factors like storm surge, heavy rain, and river overflow. These ?compound floods? can result from both tropical storms (like hurricanes) and non-tropical storms (like nor'easters), and are likely to become more severe with changing climate conditions. One major concern is that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the region are highly exposed to these flood threats, yet their vulnerability hasn't been well studied. For example, during Hurricane Sandy, billions of gallons of untreated sewage entered nearby rivers and bays, putting public health and the environment at risk. This research will develop a detailed computer model to simulate how compound floods happen along the southern New Jersey coast. The model will combine information about waves, rainfall, river flows, and storm winds to better predict flood levels and areas affected. It will be tested using real data from past storms. The study will also estimate how often future floods could reach certain heights at WWTPs, based on hundreds of simulations under different climate change scenarios. These results will help engineers and emergency planners design stronger infrastructure and prepare for extreme weather events. Overall, the project will improve understanding of coastal flood risks and support better decision-making to protect critical facilities and communities.