Several water-table response tests performed in undulating topography at a field site near Chalk River, Ontario are analysed. The objective of the experiments was to gather detailed field information on the nature of the water-table rise in response to precipitation in a shallow water-table environment. The tests were performed by applying simulated rainfall to a study site instrumented in detail with porous membrane tensiometers. Changes in hydraulic head were measured using a pressure transducer and a hydraulic switch. A disproportionate rise in the water table was observed in areas where the zone of tension saturation (capillary fringe) extended to ground surface. For example, for rainfall of 5 mm over a duration of 5.3 min, the water table in the lowest-lying areas rose about 13 cm while the rise in the area of higher ground was only 5 cm. Furthermore, as a result of the difference in response between the low-lying and higher ground, complex and transient hydraulic gradients were established directed away from the low-lying area. The magnitude of the response in the low-lying area can only be explained by the presence of the capillary fringe.