Feb. 2 Webinar: Groundwater Study
An MRC Lunch & Learn Webinar
February 2, 2021
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Have you ever wondered how groundwater may be impacting the Indian River Lagoon or if reclaimed irrigation is beneficial? Then watch our February Lunch & Learn Webinar with Dr. Leesa Souto! See below for video from this event.
The Marine Resources Council and Applied Ecology, Inc. conducted the Groundwater Study to measure the extent that wastewater is impacting the Indian River Lagoon through groundwater. The project examined groundwater nutrient concentrations in residential communities that had different wastewater treatment types: 1) septic tanks; 2) municipal sewer systems; or 3) municipal sewer systems with reclaimed irrigation.
Monitoring wells were installed in 13 residential neighborhoods and 3 natural areas located in five regions of Brevard County, including the mainland and barrier islands. Regions and treatment types were compared with each other and with natural areas to see differences in the extent of nutrient pollution. The results of this study will help guide and evaluate wastewater infrastructure improvement projects and update nutrient pollutant load estimates to the Indian River Lagoon.
About Our Presenter
Dr. Leesa Souto is the Executive Director for the MRC and adjunct faculty at FIT. She grew up in S. Florida and, after completing her bachelor’s degree in Biology at Florida State, she moved to Brevard County to help protect and preserve the beauty of this area. She received a Doctorate from UCF with expertise in urban ecology that links human geography, structures and behaviors to water quality impacts. Her research focuses on groundwater impacts to the lagoon, muck management strategies, fertilizer, and alternative landscapes. Her professional career spans over 20 years of working to improve Florida’s water quality at Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Brevard County Natural Resources Management Office, and more recently with UCF’s Stormwater Management Academy. She loves the water and exploring new ecosystems in Florida and around the world.
MRC’s Lunch & Learn Webinar series is a long-standing and cherished social offered to the East Central Florida coast region, and is supported by volunteers and the community’s charitable giving. If interested and able, we ask participants to donate toward our guest speaker series. All donations are tax-deductible. For more information on the Marine Resources Council, please visit SaveTheIRL.org.