California Sea Grant College Program

The focus of this dissertation is submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), the direct flow of groundwater from the seabed to the sea, and onsite wastewater treatment systems in coastal California. The research focuses primarily on a single coastal community in central California, Stinson Beach, where conventional onsite treatment systems, or septic systems, are used exclusively for wastewater disposal. The overarching goal of the work has been to quantify the magnitude and timing of SGD at the site and to provide insight into how onsite wastewater treatment at Stinson Beach affects local groundwater quality and, via SGD, surface water quality, all with the broader goal of informing and guiding future development along the California coast.