About the 2026 Forum 

The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Helene left too many North Carolina communities without clean water, highlighting the critical importance of ensuring access to water for all, especially during extreme weather events. The damage done to wells and water systems from Helene and other storms add to longer-term challenges to water and wastewater systems across the state. Left unaddressed, these challenges threaten the state’s economic vitality.

Continued population growth and economic expansion in some parts of the state brings a need for expanded service and new infrastructure to ensure economic growth and opportunities. In other–often rural–parts of the state, aging infrastructure and weak finances threaten the viability of dozens of the state’s smallest water systems. Across the state, the water sector also faces a significant shortage of qualified workers as current workers reach retirement age.

Despite some of the largest increases in water infrastructure spending in recent years, a state estimate suggests some $20 billion in investments for drinking water and $21 billion for wastewater treatment and sanitary sewers is needed in the coming decades. The emergence of new contaminants that can impact our health, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), and the additional costs to treat them, will further compound financial pressures on water systems and their ratepayers.

The 2026 Emerging Issues Forum, held on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, convened policymakers, experts and other stakeholders to explore solutions to these pressing challenges. This forum also marked the 40th anniversary of the Emerging Issues Forum. To celebrate this milestone and highlight the local nature of this important topic, the forum was held in three cities simultaneously: Asheville, Winston-Salem and Morehead City.

The 2026 Emerging Issues Forum is the second installment of the 2025-2027 Emerging Issues Forum series on North Carolina’s future-forward infrastructure.

Our Sponsors

Thank you to our 2026 Emerging Issues Forum sponsors! Our incredible partners help us bring North Carolinians together to tackle the state’s most critical issues. To learn more about becoming a sponsor and investing in the Emerging Issues Forum, visit our forum sponsorship page.

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Scholarship Sponsors

Contributing Sponsors

Bailey & Dixon	RLC Service Group
Cataloochee Dental Group	Sandra Purcell & Associates, Inc.
Francis Asbury UMC	Smokey Mountain Auto Service
Greenway EBike Rentals	The Compass Agency, LLC
Leonard’s Auto Mart	University Instructors

2025-2027 Emerging Issues Forum Series Sponsors

A special thank you to our Future Forward Infrastructure series sponsors.

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Continuing Support

Questions? Contact: