A collaboration with the Georgia Sea Grant, begun in early 2024 and continuing through February of 2026.
Summary
This project aims to identify and characterize coastal inundation risk, which is compounded with contamination risk from point and non-point sources of pollution. Point sources produce pollution from a single place, such as a drainage pipe or wastewater treatment plant. Non-point sources produce pollution across a wide area, such as runoff from a city street or from septic tanks during a storm. With every flood, Brunswick faces increased pollution risk from both types of sources. Glynn County houses 15 active Superfund sites, four of which are on the National Priorities List (NPL), and 8 archived sites. The EPA designates Superfund sites for containing hazardous substances. Additionally, over 12,000 houses in Glynn County are not connected to sewers but rely on aging septic systems.
Approach
The team will look at current and future inundation risks using simulated storms, map contamination risks from point (Superfund sites) and non-point (septic tanks) sources and estimate the economic impact to the properties and structures at risk.
The data collected will be used to collaboratively develop engineering recommendations for the City of Brunswick, Glynn County and Brunswick-Glynn County Joint Water and Sewer Commission, as well as to help establish a systematic framework for the Sea Grant Network to replicate in other communities. Specific products will include new GIS resources and data, technical reports and engineering designs for hazard mitigation, which will be developed jointly with UGA’s College of Engineering senior design capstone course.
The researchers also aim to share data and results in a way that is transparent, inclusive, and appropriate to the audiences involved. The data collection, mapping, engineering recommendations and reporting are expected to take about two years in order to thoroughly address the community’s concerns.
Lead Researchers
Susana Ferreira, sferreir@uga.edu
Félix Santiago-Collazo, fsantiago@uga.edu
Other team members include Georgia Sea Grant staff Jessica Brown, Kimberly Andrews and Eugene Frimpong.