The state of North Carolina in the United States has announced a new funding package exceeding $215 million aimed at improving drinking water and wastewater infrastructure across 26 counties. The initiative, approved by the State Water Infrastructure Authority, will support 66 projects, with a strong focus on communities affected by the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
According to state officials, approximately $196 million of the total funding will be directed toward repairing and enhancing systems damaged during the storm. The investment forms part of a broader effort to restore essential services while increasing resilience to future extreme weather events. It also follows a separate funding round announced in February, when more than $472 million was allocated to drinking water and wastewater projects across the state to improve reliability and water quality.
North Carolina has approved more than $215 million to restore and strengthen drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, with most funding directed to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene
Funding for the selected projects is drawn from multiple sources. These include the Supplemental Appropriation for Hurricanes Helene and Milton and Hawai’i wildfires (SRF Helene) through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and Clean Water State Revolving Fund, as well as resources from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for lead service line replacement and emerging contaminants assessment studies. Additional support is provided through the Community Development Block Grant–Infrastructure programme.
“The projects awarded will address some of our state’s most pressing current needs: repairing vital water systems that were damaged by Helene to make them less vulnerable to future storms, conducting studies of dangerous forever chemicals such as PFAS, and replacing lead pipes that can cause numerous health issues,” said Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson.
State authorities have awarded a total of $861 million in federal and state funds to help repair, rebuild, and strengthen drinking water and wastewater systems damaged by Hurricane Helene. However, demand continues to exceed available resources, with significant additional needs still identified.
Major funded projects include:
- Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority: $10 million to expand its water treatment plant and implement resilience upgrades to improve capacity and reliability.
- City of Gastonia: $10 million to strengthen drinking water supply systems, focusing on resilience against future disruptions.
- Cleveland County Water: $8.56 million for system-wide resilience improvements, including upgrades to critical drinking water infrastructure.
- City of Morganton: $8.05 million to enhance drinking water system resilience through infrastructure improvements and modernisation measures.
- Town of Marshall: $4 million to relocate its wastewater treatment plant to a less vulnerable area, reducing flood risk and improving long-term system stability.
The funding decisions were finalised during the Authority’s April meeting, marking another step in long-term recovery and climate adaptation planning for water systems in the region.
