Safe Water Together is a community-engaged research program designed to ensure sustainable access to safe water in coastal Georgia. This project will lay the groundwork for addressing key water challenges in coastal Georgia and prioritize these challenges based on local communities’ needs.
Why We Care
The effects of sea level rise, storm surge, extreme tides, and prolonged drought conditions, exacerbated by increasing water demand, disproportionately affect communities in coastal Georgia. High water demand also means increased wastewater production and treatment at facilities typically located in areas with lower elevations, in close proximity to streams, which are at high risk of flooding from extreme rain events. These events may result in sewage spills or septic system overflows that threaten public health arising from exposure to contaminated floodwaters. Improvements to Georgia’s water infrastructure are essential to providing safe and reliable water service.
What We Are Doing
Safe Water Together, led by the Institute for Water and Health at Georgia Southern University, is a community-engaged research program that aims to:
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- Identify local community needs for sustainable access to safe water;
- Conduct local water quality monitoring programs co-led by local community partners to address water challenges prioritized at the local level;
- Develop a data visualization tool to share water quality data with all stakeholders.
Benefits of Our Work
This project will lay the groundwork for addressing key water challenges in coastal Georgia and prioritize these challenges based on local communities’ needs. Data collected will inform how existing sources of pollution change over time and will provide a real-time assessment of groundwater levels, surface water levels, non-point sources, and saltwater intrusion.
The project is led by Asli Aslan at Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Water and Health and is funded by NCCOS through a Congressionally Directed Spending award.