The Governor of North Carolina, Governor Josh Stein, announced in a press release that over $265 million in funding will be distributed statewide for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. These grants and loans will support 99 projects across 45 counties, helping to improve water systems, address emerging contaminants (PFAS), and replace lead pipes.
“When we invest in our infrastructure, we build a stronger and safer state for every North Carolinian,” said Governor Josh Stein. “This funding will help ensure more North Carolinians have access to safe and clean drinking water and will strengthen our communities for decades to come.”
“Every family expects and deserves clean water when they turn on the tap,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “These investments will provide critical infrastructure to help improve public health and quality of life for North Carolinians in communities large and small across our state.”
Notable projects:
- Kings Mountain (Gaston County): $2 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Drinking Water funds for lead and copper service line replacement.
- Town of Fair Bluff (Columbus County): $1 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds to construct a well outside the 500-year floodplain and connect it via 4,000 feet of waterline, replacing a well damaged by Hurricanes Florence and Matthew.
- Town of Nags Head (Dare County): $500,000 in Clean Water State Revolving Loan Funds for repairs and replacements of approximately 400 failing residential septic systems, the first award from the Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System Pilot Program.
- New Hanover County: $3 million from the Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure program to install 1.3 miles of water lines and connect 50 occupied residential units to the water system.
- Town of River Bend (Craven County): $10.4 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds for improvements to water treatment systems and supply wells.
- Columbus County Water District IV: $15 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds for a 250,000-gallon elevated water tank, a booster pump station, a deep-water supply well, and waterline extensions serving over 500 residences in the Waccamaw Siouan Tribal Area.
- Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District (Halifax County): $5 million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for Emerging Contaminants to construct a post-filter granular activated carbon adsorption facility to remove PFAS from drinking water.
- Bessemer City (Gaston County): $2.5 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Service Line Replacement funds to replace about 150 galvanized water service lines with new ones.
A full list of funded projects is available on the Department of Environmental Quality website.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) Division of Water Infrastructure reviewed 203 applications totaling $1.63 billion in requests. The State Water Infrastructure Authority approved the awards during its Feb. 19 meeting.
Funding for this round comes from several sources, including the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Loan Funds, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for Emerging Contaminants and Lead Service Line Replacement, the Drinking Water and Wastewater State Reserves, the Viable Utilities Reserve, and the Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure (CDBG-I) program. Projects funded by the Viable Utility Reserve require Local Government Commission approval.
The next funding application round for drinking water, wastewater, lead service line, and emerging contaminants projects opens March 4 and closes April 30 at 5 p.m. Training for applicants will be available through in-person sessions from March 4-12 and an online recorded option.
The State Water Infrastructure Authority, an independent body, oversees the allocation of federal and state funding for water infrastructure. NCDEQ also provides emergency funding to communities in western North Carolina to repair and enhance drinking water and wastewater systems impacted by Tropical Storm Helene.
