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Sep 18, 2025

New Tool Helps Wastewater Treatment Plants Across North Carolina

When is the last time you thought about your sewer system? While often overlooked, sewer systems play a crucial role in transporting and treating wastewater and are an integral part of our infrastructure when it comes to public health. A recent project, led by professor Chris Osburn of NC State’s Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences…
graphic: water and magnifying glass.

Apr 29, 2025

New Research Projects Focus on PFAS, A Contaminant of Emerging Concern

WRRI is pleased to announce two new projects, funded in partnership with the Urban Water Consortium, that address testing and treatment of water and wastewater for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a contaminant of emerging concern. The Urban Water Consortium (UWC) was established in 1985 to connect urban water managers in North Carolina with scientific…

Nov 7, 2024

Plastic from the Mountains to the Sea

From the Fall 2024 issue of Coastwatch: From plastic trash along creeks and rivers, to microplastics in waterways — and in our bloodstreams — plastic pollution is present on every continent, including Antarctica.  As we reported in the Summer 2023 issue of Coastwatch, plastic pollution is significant in North Carolina, as samples from the Neuse River…

Aug 6, 2024

Announcing Our 2024 CCRG Grant Recipients

Five new projects have received funding from the Community Collaborative Research Grant Program (CCRG). North Carolina Sea Grant and N.C. Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) administer the CCRG Program in partnership with the William R. Kenan Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science (KIETS). These projects, which couple scientific expertise with local knowledge, foster collaboration…

Aug 6, 2024

NC WRRI Research Funding Opportunity: WRRI-USGS 104(b) Grants Now Open for Preproposals

The North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI), along with the U.S. Geological Survey 104(b) program, is requesting proposals for the 2025-2026 WRRI-USGS 104b competitive grants program. Faculty or university affiliates of any accredited college or university in North Carolina are eligible to apply.  This funding opportunity is designed to foster the exploration of new…

May 28, 2024

From the Mountains to the Sea: Researchers and Community Activists Focus on Plastic Pollution in North Carolina

From plastic trash littering our creeks and rivers, to microplastics in our waterways and bloodstreams, plastic pollution can feel ubiquitous and inevitable—but some North Carolina researchers are doing vital work to measure plastic in our environments, raise awareness about its impacts, and combat its effects.

Nov 20, 2023

NC WRRI’s 2023 Faculty Researchers Announced

North Carolina’s Water Resource Research Institute (WRRI) is pleased to announce newly funded faculty researchers for 2023. This biennial request for proposals is jointly supported by the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The researchers are investigating a wide variety of water resources needs, including methods to improve wastewater…
The main street of Conover, NC, a small southern town. Small shops line the street on each side, and light green water tower is visible in the distance.

Oct 3, 2023

Free Mapping Tool Will Help Small NC Towns Meet Water Quality Requirements

The world is digitized. From data to images to maps, they can be found in a digital format. One NC group is working to make that true for NC’s water utilities boundaries. A collaborative research team led by Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability is working to lessen the digital divide for…
A graphic image detailing sources that contribute to PFAS in water.

Apr 25, 2023

NC Urban Water Consortium-Funded Researcher Looks to Eliminate PFAS

Scientists in North Carolina and beyond continue to identify harmful effects of chemicals once considered useful and innovative — but those chemicals are now causing damage to our water systems and to our bodies. Now known as forever chemicals because of their persistent and lasting nature, these chemicals include PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that…
Person uses fishing pole to fish in ocean from a boat.

Apr 17, 2023

New Community Collaborative Projects Amplify Overlooked Stories, Engage Aspiring Scientists and More

Four new projects in North Carolina are launching this year as part of the Community Collaborative Research Grant Program (CCRG), administered by North Carolina Sea Grant and NC Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI), in partnership with the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology, and Science (KIETS).