Certification Criteria

Salt Pond Smart’s certification criteria are backed by science – researchers at URI and their community partners have been measuring and documenting water quality in our coastal ponds for decades. They have also examined what the biggest impacts on salt pond water quality are, and how property-scale best practices can reduce the impact of human activities to local ground and surface waters. Participants will learn about the importance of these best practices and how they impact local water quality in each of the following five training modules:

  • RI’s Coastal Salt Ponds
  • Drinking Water Infrastructure
  • Wastewater Infrastructure
  • Sustainable Landscaping Practices (Gardening and Lawn Care)
  • Stormwater Management

After completing the training, participants will get the chance to document how their practices and property management meet the Salt Pond Smart certification criteria.

Drinking Water Infrastructure: Water Supplies and Wells

Whether or not we are in the habit of thinking about where our water comes from, or where it goes after we’re done with it, our water infrastructure is very important for both human health and ecosystem health. Humans and healthy salt pond ecosystems need clean water to thrive. Residents in our coastal communities rely on groundwater for their drinking water supply, so knowing about the quality of water coming from your well or water supply system is important for protecting your health. There are also basic steps everyone can take to prevent contaminating our groundwater. Listed below are examples of the type of drinking water infrastructure best practices and certification criteria Salt Pond Smart participants will be asked to document on their property:

  • Participants know whether their drinking water is coming from a public water supply or a private drinking water well.
  • Water supply customers know how to access reports on the quality of the water that is piped to their property.
  • Private well owners understand that their responsibility to provide safe drinking water on their property requires regular water testing, and that careful maintenance of the well and its surrounding area is critical to protecting their water supply.
  • Private well owners have their water tested regularly at a certified laboratory, following guidance from the RI Department of Health.
  • Property owners don’t allow old or abandoned wells to serve as potential groundwater contamination locations.
  • Residents carefully store and dispose of chemicals and toxic substances in ways that do not risk contaminating our local groundwater supply.

Wastewater Infrastructure: Septic Systems and Sewers

The wastewater we generate needs adequate treatment to prevent it from polluting the environment. In southern RI, most wastewater is treated in septic systems, though some areas have sewers and centralized wastewater treatment plants. In the salt ponds region, human-generated wastewater presents the largest threat to the quality of our local groundwater and nearby salt ponds. Advanced septic system technologies and routine maintenance of all septic systems are critical to reducing the amount of pollution we are adding to our waters each day. Here are examples of the type of wastewater infrastructure best practices and certification criteria Salt Pond Smart participants will be asked to document on their property:

  • Salt Pond Smart participants know how their wastewater is being treated, and recognize its importance and role as critical infrastructure on their property.
  • Participants relying on septic systems identify what type of system they have, its condition, how to maintain it, and document that they are having appropriate inspections/maintenance (including pumping) done to maximize the system’s efficiency and longevity. Regular preventative maintenance minimizes a system’s impacts to public and environmental health. 
  • If there is an advanced septic system designed to reduce nitrogen on the property, participants ensure it is serviced appropriately. Property owners with conventional systems learn about the available options to upgrade to an advanced system, so they are better prepared when the time to update their system arrives.
  • Residents know what is safe to flush, and what should be disposed of in the trash or at a specialized waste collection location.

Sustainable Landscaping (Gardening and Lawn Care) Practices

Eliminating or reducing fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide and water use to maintain your landscape is another way to help keep our waters clean, since many lawn chemicals can end up in ground and nearby surface waters. Planting drought-tolerant and native species on your property, making small adjustments to your lawn care practices, and composting safely are small steps everyone can take each day to save money and be more Salt Pond Smart! Here are some examples of the type of sustainable landscaping practices and certification criteria Salt Pond Smart participants will be asked to choose among and document on their property:

  • Salt Pond Smart participants eliminate or reduce the amount of fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides they apply to their lawns and gardens.
  • Participants reduce or stop irrigating lawns (allowing them to go dormant in the summer), and water ornamental plants and vegetables wisely (no more than 1-2” per week).
  • Participants mow their lawn(s) “high” and leave clippings in place.
  • Participants prioritize planting appropriate native species of plants to support wildlife habitat and minimize watering requirements, and remove invasive plants.

Stormwater Management

When it rains, pollution that has accumulated on the ground and water-shedding surfaces (like roofs, paved driveways and roads) is carried along by stormwater until it reaches the nearest surface water or pond. Keeping all the rain that falls on your property in place and allowing it to be filtered by the soil reduces the amount of pollution entering our salt ponds, while also recharging local groundwater. Making sure wildlife and pet waste stays out of our waters is another important step to ensuring our ponds are healthy. For those properties on the shoreline, native coastal plants at the shoreline help to trap and filter contaminants in stormwater before they reach the water. Examples of the type of stormwater management best practices and certification criteria Salt Pond Smart participants will be asked to choose among and document on their property include:

  • Stormwater is managed to minimize overland flow (which carries pollutants with it) and maximize localized infiltration of water (so it can be filtered by soil and recharge local groundwater).
  • Stormwater is captured on the property, and not allowed to flow onto the road or to nearby culverts or storm drains. Installing a rain garden is a great way to capture and allow rainwater to infiltrate into the soil.
  • Participants manage pet and wildlife feces responsibly, so that they do not accumulate and risk being washed into the pond.
  • Waterfront Salt Pond Smart participants cultivate and maintain appropriate native shoreline plantings along the water’s edge to protect water resources (e.g. not mowing to water’s edge/beach or cultivating native shoreline plants at the pond’s edge).