The 2026 WRRI Annual Conference hosted over 400 participants, making it WRRI’s largest event to date. This conference featured engaging speakers whose presentations on water resource issues, from flooding to managing many of NC’s unique stormwater and wastewater systems, participants shared research and practical experiences with students, researchers and practitioners from many disciplines. The conference included 27 breakout sessions over 6 concurrent sessions, 46 poster presentations, and 16 lightning talks. 

Conference topics included discussions on water conservation, city water planning, stream ecology, water chemistry, and community engagement. As always the conference provided a space for networking with professionals across the state and, especially, for mentoring students interested in the field. The range of topics and participants highlights the multifaceted nature of water resources and emphasizes the training, knowledge, and expertise needed to successfully manage our water resources. 

WRRI Director, NCDEQ Secretary, and NCSU Interim Chancellor of Research Initiatives Give Opening Remarks 

WRRI Director Susan White welcomed participants and introduced Reid Wilson, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), and Jacob Jones, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Initiatives in the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI). Secretary Wilson outlined three key directives for NCDEQ: “Helping communities recover from [Hurricane] Helene and prepare for future hazards, reducing people’s exposure to harmful forever chemicals like PFAS, and strengthening communities’ resilience to natural disasters across the state.” Jones reminded the group that “WRRI, established in 1964, is our oldest active unit in ORI.” Jones emphasized the value of research investments in North Carolina and offered examples of other successful institutes in the ORI family and encouraged participants to embrace the “Think and Do” spirit of NCSU. 

Opening Panel Covers the complexity of flooding in North Carolina

The opening panel focused on the complexity of flooding in North Carolina, from chronic coastal flooding to the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene in the mountains. Stuart Brown, Flood Resiliency Blueprint Program Manager at NCDEQ outlined our state’s flood resilience blueprints which “provide local governments, the state, and partners with the data, tools, and processes to guide investments that minimize the cost and disruption of future flooding.” Katherine Anarde, Assistant Professor, Civil, Construction, & Environmental Engineering at NCSU, presented flooding research that uses webcams to offer a more accurate picture of chronic flooding across coastal communities. Brett Hartis, Lead Hydro Licensing Project Manager for Duke Energy’s Water Strategy and Hydro Licensing Team, offered a practitioner’s perspective on North Carolina’s water reservoir and dam systems. 

Art and Water

Moderator Christy Perrin of WRRI facilitated the day two plenary, where three panelists discussed the importance of art in engaging communities about water resources and science. Kelly Pajek, Public Art Director at 4Culture, discussed 4Culture’s work to transform water infrastructure in King County, WA with art work from local artists. Tiffany Baker, a visual artist from Brooklyn, NYC, discussed the role of artists in nonprofit work to engage people from a variety backgrounds and life stages about issues of flooding and water quality. Erin Boyd, from the Department of Water Management in Durham, NC, discussed a project closer to home in Durham, NC where above ground wastewater access pipes, or “risers” are painted by local artists along a greenway to depict the importance of water to NC communities.

Poster and Lightning Talk Winners

This year’s judges selected the top three poster presentation winners and an honorable mention from 46 presenters. Posters discussed water quality, aquatic ecology, flooding, and more. 

First Place: James Harris – “Diamond Grinding Slurry Wastewater: Effects on Soil and Vegetation”

Second Place: Bigyapti Nepal – “Applications of Remote Sensing in Monitoring Coastal Cyanobacterial Bloom Risks”

Third Place: Ashud Kanu – “Comparative Annual and Seasonal Water Quality Assessment of Two Urbanized Watersheds in Durham, North Carolina

Honorable Mention: Will McClure – “Application of the Imaging Flow Cytobot (IFCB) to Monitor Harmful Algal Blooms in the Pamlico River Estuary”

Lightning Talk Winners

The conference included 16 engaging and informative lightning talks on a variety of topics. From these 16 talks, judges selected one winner and one runner-up.

Winner: Noah White – “Design, Construction, and Validation of a Mobile Rainfall Simulator”

Honorable Mention: Piper Monk – “Finding Septic Solutions for Healthy Communities and Environment in Mount Pleasant”

Thanks to the North Carolina Water Resources Association for sponsoring the student poster presentation and lightning talk awards!

2026 NC Source Water Protection Award

The NC Source Water Protection Award was awarded to Jeff Lineberger by the NC Source Water Collaborative for his unwavering contributions to source water protection in North Carolina as part of his career with Duke Energy and for his leadership in river basins in the Mountain and Piedmont regions of the state, especially the the Catawba–Wateree River Basin. Lineberger was instrumental in creating the Catawba–Wateree Water Management Group (CWWMG) in 2007, which endorsed and supported projects that preserved the Catawba–Wateree system, ensuring consistent water quality and access for communities, industries, and ecosystems that depend on the basin. 

Looking Ahead to Next Year

WRRI extends a very warm “thank you” to all who attended and presented. Without their participation, expertise, and perspectives, the conference would not be possible, especially not at this year’s record-breaking scale! A special thanks to our sponsors for supporting our conference and our students.

The 2027 WRRI Annual Conference will take place on March 23-24 at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh, NC. We look forward to seeing you there!