Wastewater Treatment Along North Carolina’s Changing Coastlines

Join WRRI’s First Virtual Conference Session!

Wastewater infrastructure is designed to provide safe and efficient conveyance and treatment of sewage to protect human health and the environment. Increasingly though, climate change threatens the effectiveness of this infrastructure, particularly in coastal communities. High-tide flooding and extreme precipitation events, as well as sea level rise, result in immediate and long-term losses of system functionality. These systems are at risk with impaired ability to process contaminants, which may lead to human illness, ecosystem damage and, ultimately, the un-livability of communities that depend on them.

Register for this informative session to learn about these current issues. Researchers from East Carolina University, North Carolina State University and East Carolina University will explain their recent findings on such topics and discuss possible solutions. Join the discussion!

Register here.

Registrants will receive a confirmation email with a link and password to join the Zoom meeting.

Moderator: Jane Harrison, Coastal Economics Specialist, North Carolina Sea Grant
Speakers:
Michael O’Driscoll, East Carolina University: Does more groundwater mean less treatment? The influence of sea level rise and coastal storms on septic systems  
Eric Edwards, NC State University: The economics of improving coastal wastewater treatment under a changing climate
Lindsay Dubbs, UNC Coastal Studies Institute: People, water, and septic: A coastal case study in Nags Head, NC
Lawrence Cahoon, UNC-Wilmington: Climate change is challenging our waste treatment infrastructure