Resilient by Design: Strengthening North Carolina’s Water and Sewer Infrastructure
Monday, May 11 at NC Biotech Center, RTP, NC
2026 Summit
Resilient by Design: Strengthening North Carolina’s Water and Sewer Infrastructure
Engineering, funding, and communication converge in this focused one-day summit on rebuilding the state’s water and sewer systems after disaster. Sessions will explore new technologies, coordinated planning, and the policies needed to keep communities healthy and prepared and increase public confidence in the water that flows from every tap.
Draft Agenda
8:30 am
Registration
9:00 am
Welcome from Jackie MacDonald Gibson, NC State
9:10 am
Former NC Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins
9:30 am
NC DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson
9:50 am
Institute for Emerging Issues Director Sarah Hall Langer
(Future Forward Water recap and recommendations)
10:15 am
On the Ground Perspectives
(Water utility directors and community advisor panel organizations)
11:00 am
Research Panel
Rebecca Fry, UNC Chapel Hill
Jackie MacDonald Gibson, NC State
Noon
Lunch
1:00 pm
3 concurrent breakout groups
Community Needs
Funding to Meet Community Needs
Policy Barriers to Recovery
3:45 pm
Recaps/action items from breakout groups
4:30 pm
Closing Remarks and Next Steps