NC Communities Get $127 Million to Improve Water and Sewer Systems, Protect Clean Water | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Press Release:

Cooper Also Proposes Invest NC Bond to Provide More Water Infrastructure Help

    RALEIGH: Communities across North Carolina from Sylva to Elizabeth City will get $127 million in loans and grants to help pay for 96 critical drinking water and wastewater projects statewide, Governor Roy Cooper announced today

    "Clean water is critical for our health and our economy," Gov. Cooper said. "These funds will help communities improve their water and sewer systems to ensure clean drinking water, support good jobs, and be better able to withstand future storms."

    The grants and loans come from various funding sources including the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan program, Drinking Water State Reserve program, Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan program, the Wastewater State Reserve program, the Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure program, the Asset Inventory and Assessment Grant program and the Merger/Regionalization Feasibility Grant program. The funds were approved March 13 by the State Water Infrastructure Authority. A list of all projects funded statewide by town and/or county is available HERE.

    "With the stresses of aging infrastructure and recent proof that storms can devastate water infrastructure, we must provide utilities with funding to strengthen water and sewer systems," said Sec. Michael Regan of the Department of Environmental Quality.

    In addition to the grants and loans announced today, local governments can apply for future funds to improve water and wastewater systems. The application period for the authority's next round of funding ends on April 30. The Division of Water Infrastructure will conduct statewide training sessions for interested applicants March 22 through March 28. The complete training schedule is available at: https://deq.nc.gov/spring-2019-application-training

    Governor's Proposed Bond, Budget Would Further Strengthen Water Infrastructure

    Reliable, resilient water and sewer systems are vital for public health and economic development. Beyond the grants and loans announced today, North Carolina needs more than $17 billion in upgrades to water and sewer infrastructure statewide, according to a review by the UNC Environmental Finance Center. To meet this need, Gov. Cooper had proposed investing $800 million in local water and sewer projects through a bond put to a vote of the people. Read more about the full Invest NC bond proposal HERE.

    Gov. Cooper's budget also invests in clean water through $6.3 million for water testing and analysis for perflourinated compounds and other emerging compounds and provides more than $3 million to match additional federal funds for clean water and drinking water infrastructure. Learn more about how Gov. Cooper's budget invests in a cleaner, healthier environment.

• Contact: Ford Porter
•     govpress@nc.gov