Communities Across NC Awarded $166 Million for Water and Sewer System Improvements | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper announced today that $166 million in loans and grants to help pay for 88 critical drinking water and wastewater projects. The projects are scattered across the state and directed toward infrastructure resiliency and protection of drinking water and the environment.

    "All families across our state deserve clean water," said Governor Cooper. "Some water and sewer systems are over a hundred years old, and these funds will help communities meet their infrastructure challenges."

    Economic development requires reliable, resilient water and sewer systems, which are also the foundation for protection of public health and the environment. Studies show that North Carolina still needs from $17 billion to $26 billion in upgrades to its water and sewer infrastructure statewide.

    A few of the notable projects in the latest round of funding include:

• More than $4.5 million in drinking water and wastewater funding for Bethel in Pitt County to prepare the small town's failing systems to merge with the Greenville Utilities Commission.
• Woodland in Northampton County will receive $983,500 from the Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure program, helping the town become compliant and more efficient and environmentally protective.
• Clayton will receive a $30 million loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for their water reclamation facility.

    A list of all projects funded statewide by town and/or county is available at: https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/WI/Authority/Feb.-2020-State-Water-Infrastructure-Authority-Funding-Approvals.pdf

    The grants and loans are funded through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan 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 officially approved Feb. 12 by the State Water Infrastructure Authority.

    "Access to clean water and reliable water infrastructure is critical to the economic competitiveness and future resiliency of North Carolina's communities. This funding is essential to help utilities across our state meet some of the challenges they currently face," said Secretary Michael S. Regan of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

    HOW TO APPLY FOR FUNDING

    The application period for the authority's next round of funding for water and wastewater infrastructure projects ends on April 30. The Division of Water Infrastructure will conduct statewide training sessions at six locations Feb. 19 through Feb. 28 for applicants interested in applying for the next round of funds. The training schedule is available at: https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/WI/Application_Info/2020-Spring-Training-Announcement-WEBSITE-version.pdf