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URI outlines plan to sample groundwater in unsewered parts of Tiverton; board encourages homeowner volunteers
Summary
Researchers from the University of Rhode Island presented a preliminary groundwater‑sampling plan targeting parts of Tiverton that rely on wells and septic systems. The study will develop a GIS‑based vulnerability map, recruit volunteer homeowners for sampling and install monitoring loggers to track water‑table and nutrient conditions over time.
The University of Rhode Island presented a preliminary groundwater assessment plan focused on portions of Tiverton that rely on private wells and septic systems. The study team said its goal is to evaluate groundwater status, identify contamination risks and monitor aquifer recharge and water‑table behavior to better inform future development and infrastructure decisions.
Presenter Sony (URI, water‑quality modeler) described a GIS‑based workflow that overlays public datasets—land use, elevation, water‑table depth, drainage condition and hydrologic soil group—to create a vulnerability or suitability map to target representative wells for sampling. The team proposed prioritizing sampling in areas with shallow water tables and poorly drained soils and using a mix of spot samples and continuous monitoring loggers at selected wells.
Sony said the planned laboratory analyses would include nutrient testing (nitrate, phosphate) for broad coverage and targeted pathogen testing at selected wells. Continuous loggers would record water‑table depth, specific conductance and temperature; the team said they would be “benign” and would visit sites monthly to download data. The presenters said they will request existing monitoring data from state and town agencies (for example, public‑supply wells and landfill monitoring data) and will digitize older maps to improve the model.
Board members asked about sample counts and frequency. The URI team said there is no single “magic number”; a statistically meaningful program depends on the total number of private wells and logistical feasibility. As a practical cadence, the presenters suggested quarterly sampling (four times per year) for groundwater wells selected for monitoring, with baseline sampling to be performed prior to installation of long‑term loggers.
The board encouraged the team to prepare public outreach materials and an online sign‑up for volunteers; the presenters said they would draft a letter to notify owners and planned a public mailing and targeted in‑person outreach modeled on similar work in neighboring Charlestown.
Why it matters: Tiverton has no large, continuous aquifer—local wells are completed in bedrock and many soils are poorly drained—so a better evidence base about water‑table variability and nutrient loading will inform how much development those neighborhoods can safely accommodate and whether additional protections or infrastructure are needed.
