2022 Projects
WRRI-supported researchers explore a wide range of different topics in the water resources field, from emerging contaminants to flooding to stormwater management and more. Read on to learn about funded projects for 2022. If searching for Faculty projects, visit the 2021 Projects page.
Graduate Projects
Advancing Understanding of Flood Water Quality Distributions and Drivers through Statistical Modeling
Researcher: Emine Fidan, NC State University
Advisor: Natalie Nelson
Focus Area: flooding; surface water quality
This project was jointly funded by North Carolina Sea Grant.
This project focuses on modeling flood water quality from Hurricane Florence. Hurricanes bring a lot of rainfall with them, which typically carries pollutants from the land with it. These pollutants have the potential to harm environmental health and negatively affect people who come into contact with floodwaters, so her goal is to analyze what is in the water and understand what factors influence the flood water quality.
Determining the Relative Contribution of Nuisance Flooding to the Risk Profiles of Estuarine Communities under Current and Future Climate Conditions
Researcher: Lauren Grimley, UNC Chapel Hill
Advisor: Antonia Sebastian
Focus Area: flooding; climate change
This project focuses on improving flood hazard and risk Information in coastal communities in eastern North Carolina. Grimley determines where and how deep flood waters are using water level measurements from storm drain sensors and a physics-based flood model that considers multiple drivers of flooding (e.g., streamflow, rainfall, tides, and storm surge). Using the flood model and climate projections, she is investigating how increased precipitation and sea level rise can impact the frequency and severity of nuisance and extreme floods to identify who (or what) is exposed to flooding now and will be in future climate conditions.
PFAS Removal from Natural Water through Electrodeionization Equipped with Novel PFAS Selective Resins
Researcher: Holly Haflich, UNC Chapel Hill
Advisor: Orlando Coronell
Focus Area: PFAS removal; drinking water
This project was funded by the Urban Water Consortium.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of toxic, anthropogenic chemicals that are present in natural water sources throughout North Carolina. Conventional drinking water treatment methods do not selectively remove PFAS from water sources which leaves PFAS present in treated drinking water. Haflich’s work proposes the development and synergistic use of novel membranes and sorbents, or absorbent materials, for the selective removal of PFAS from water.
Assessing Water Quality in the Upper Cape Fear Aquifer, a Potential Alternate Drinking Water Source for Chemours-Area Residents
Researcher: Tiffany VanDerwerker, NC State University
Advisor: David Genereux
Focus Area: PFAS contamination; drinking water; groundwater
This project was jointly funded by North Carolina Sea Grant.
Elevated per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) concentrations have been observed in thousands of private drinking water wells near a fluorochemical manufacturing plant in Fayetteville, NC. This study will assess deep wells in or below the Upper Cape Fear Aquifer as a potential alternate source of high-quality, PFAS-free drinking water. In her research, VanDerwerker will collect groundwater samples from deep private drinking water wells in the area and analyze samples for a wide range of constituents to evaluate water quality in these wells.
Evaluating Oyster Reef Restoration Configurations for Optimizing Ecological Success Wave Attenuation Against the Threat of Sea Level Rise and Boat Wakes
Researcher: Georgette Tso, East Carolina University
Advisor: Siddharth Narayan
Focus Area: oyster reef restoration; climate change
Tso studies oyster reefs and their potential for providing coastal protection benefits as well as ecological benefits. Using DIY low-cost wave gauges, she measures wave attenuation across oyster reefs in Taylor’s Creek, North Carolina. The study results will inform design and deployment guidelines for optimizing oyster reef performance in protecting shorelines.
Community Collaborative Research Grant (CCRG) Projects for 2022-2023
Coming soon