Insights from our research
SEPTIC FUNCTION
Have you noticed your yard smells bad when it rains, or your toilet backs up? One thing that causes septic systems to fail is if the level of water underground is too high for the waste water in your pipes to drain downward. It’s like trying to add more water to a sponge that’s already full–it overflows instead.
For more explanation on why this happens and resources about what to do, visit the pages below.
DROUGHT
Do you remember when the Eastern Shore used to get a lot of snow? Were you affected by the tomato crop failure of 2023? The Eastern Shore is in a drought, and droughts will affect a lot of life in the future. Our research shows that this dry trend will reverse eventually, and the Shore may get a lot of water by 2050.
To learn more about saving water, check out the pages below.
DRINKING WATER
Do your white shirts come out of the laundry stained rusty? Have you noticed your water has a weird smell? Are you concerned you have high blood pressure for reasons you can’t explain? Water quality can affect all these things, and it depends a lot on where you live! If you have well water in your house, it will be affected by how much rain you get, how much your neighbors pump, and how close you are to tidal creeks or saltwater.
For more explanation on drinking water quality and resources about what to do, visit the pages below.
FLOODED ROADS
Depending on where you live, a morning drizzle can mean showing up to work late, and a storm might mean finding higher ground for your car. Flooding on the Eastern Shore is more likely in low areas by the coast or Bayside, near tidal creeks, or in areas where the water underground is close to the surface and the soil “sponge” gets full quickly.
For more explanation about road flooding and resources about what to do, visit the pages below.
