About WRRI

The North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (NC WRRI) is a multi-campus center of the University of North Carolina system. It is located at North Carolina State University but serves public and private universities across the state. NC WRRI is supported through a federal-state partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey and the state of North Carolina and is one of 54 institutes across the nation federally authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1964 to support, coordinate, and facilitate water resources research.

What We Do

• Support faculty, student, and community-based research that addresses water-related issues and expands the understanding of water and water-related phenomena.
• Disseminate research findings, tools, technologies, and water-related information through a variety of outreach, education, and training programs.
• Facilitate collaboration and networking events reaching a broad range of partners.

Since 1965, NC WRRI has supported research, extension, education, and training needs that address North Carolina’s water resources priorities. NC WRRI successfully communicates science information to a variety of partners, including governmental officials, industries, educators, and the public. These efforts result in significant environmental, economic, and educational benefits across the state.

Why Our Work Matters

North Carolina remains among the fastest-growing states in the nation. Eleven million people now reside in the state, with over 165,000 added in the last year alone. North Carolina had the fourth largest population increase across the nation since 2023 and remains the 9th most populated state in the nation. The state’s population is projected to reach 14 million by 2050. This population growth will continue to stress the state’s water resources and infrastructure.

NC WRRI is uniquely positioned to facilitate research, transfer technology advances from science to application, and deliver education and training opportunities that are critical to address growing water-related challenges locally, regionally, and nationally. NC WRRI has close collaborations with two other state/federal programs based at NC State University, NC Sea Grant and NC Space Grant. These partnership programs are distinct but have synergistic missions to NC WRRI, providing additional opportunities in research, extension, and outreach where applicable.

We Invest in the UNC System

WRRI provides resources across the UNC system, supporting junior faculty and undergraduate and graduate students in particular. Over the last five years, WRRI has supported researchers at 11 North Carolina institutions with investments totaling over $5 million.

We Sponsor Research

Through a combination of federal, state and local water utility funds, WRRI provides grants for water research to academic researchers at North Carolina’s colleges and universities and, through utility-based partnerships, to consultants and practitioners. We encourage researchers to consult and collaborate with the end-users of their research to maximize relevance and application of the results. We seek input from our advisory committee and other stakeholders to help us guide research efforts towards the highest priority water resource issues. We aim to support the highest quality investigators and projects, and strive to support junior faculty when possible. We have a strong history of student support through our research program, including a new student proposal funding program. We have a rigorous, transparent peer review process for our proposals, and ensure that all research results are publicly available when projects conclude.

We Facilitate Exchanges

WRRI is an interface for academics, practitioners (such as government staff, private consultants and contractors), and the public to learn from each other and to help guide water-related research and management efforts to ensure they reflect the state’s priority needs. Our connections and our many platforms for exchange – such as our annual conference, communication tools, publications and training workshops – help ensure that research results are transferred to the people who can best use them. With trained facilitators on staff, we offer assistance to various stakeholder groups, including assisting with strategic and organizational planning, providing expertise on state boards and committees, gathering and synthesizing input from stakeholders, and engaging people in participatory exercises that enhance dialogue and problem solving around water resources.

We Train NC’s Water Professionals

In the last 30 years, we’ve trained nearly 11,000 erosion and sediment control professionals through in-person and online workshops, working both with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and independently.

We Educate Decision Makers

Local governments, state agencies, water utilities, private consultants, researchers, nonprofits, professional associations – all of these groups make decisions and take actions in their daily professional lives that affect water resources in our state. WRRI offers training workshops, forums, seminars and other educational events – including our multidisciplinary annual conference – to help inform these target audiences on the latest in water research, management practices and regulations in order to promote informed, science-based decision making.

Return on Investment

Through fostering partnerships and providing coordination between academia, industry, the public sector and the community, WRRI offers high returns on public investment.

• For every $1 in federal funding received by WRRI, we are able to leverage an additional $8 in funding.
• We provide resources across the UNC System, supporting junior faculty and graduate students in particular. Over the last 20 years, WRRI has supported 9 UNC System institutions with investments totaling over $13.4 million.
• To match drinking water, sewer and stormwater utility needs with university expertise, WRRI manages the Urban Water Consortium and the Stormwater Consortium. Since 1985, these dues-paying utilities have provided over $3.5 million to support needs-based research.
• We optimize program efficiencies through strategic partnerships resulting in annual recurring savings of over $100,000 to the State of North Carolina.

Prioritizing Education

From K-12 students to university researchers to career professionals, WRRI supports and enables the education and training of thousands of North Carolinians every year.

• WRRI education products and services reach nearly 6,000 individuals each year in universities, local governments and private businesses across the state.
• In the last 30 years, we’ve trained nearly 11,000 erosion and sediment control professionals through in-person and online workshops.
• We provide technical and professional support to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources as required by the N.C. Sedimentation Pollution Control Act. As such, WRRI has helped train over 10,000 erosion and sediment control professionals in 25 years.
• WRRI has supported 26 graduate student researchers with grants for their work over the last five years, and has indirectly supported dozens more through support to faculty-led research projects.
• Recently, WRRI’s program, the Watershed Stewardship Network, partnered with PBS-NC on the award-winning Watershed Wisdom online lesson plan for classroom and at-home learning, which attracted nearly 10,000 website visitors in 2021.

Foundations

A Water Resource Research Institute is located in each State, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories of Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

While national guidance is provided by NIWR, WRRI receives its federally appropriated funding through the U.S. Geological Survey’s State Water Research Institute Program.  State funding is provided by the General Assembly via NC State University. The Institute also arranges research partnerships and competes for federal, state and foundation grants and contracts.