Design and Construction Report staff writer
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) has announced the allocation of more than $265 million in funding to support 99 drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects across 45 counties in the state. This funding, provided through loans and grants, aims to improve water systems, replace lead pipes, address emerging contaminants such as PFAS, and strengthen water infrastructure in communities statewide.
Funded projects will address long-term infrastructure needs.
“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.”
Projects include:
- Kings Mountain (Gaston County): $2 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Drinking Water funds to replace lead and copper service lines.
- Town of Fair Bluff (Columbus County): $1 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds to construct a well outside the 500-year floodplain, replacing one damaged by Hurricanes Florence and Matthew.
- Town of Nags Head (Dare County): $500,000 from the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Funds to repair and replace approximately 400 malfunctioning residential septic systems, marking 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 homes to the water system.
- Town of River Bend (Craven County): $10.4 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds to improve water treatment systems and supply wells.
- Columbus County Water District IV: $15 million to install a new elevated water tank, booster pump station, and extend waterlines to serve over 500 homes in the Waccamaw Siouan Tribal Area.
- Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District (Halifax County): $5 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to construct a facility for removing PFAS contaminants from drinking water.
- Bessemer City (Gaston County): $2.5 million for lead service line replacements, affecting about 150 homes.
Funding comes from multiple sources, including the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Loan Funds, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Emerging Contaminants and Lead Service Line Replacement programs, and the Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure program. The North Carolina State Water Infrastructure Authority approved the funding during its meeting on Feb. 19, following a review of 203 eligible applications totaling $1.63 billion in requests.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ)’s Division of Water Infrastructure reviewed 203 eligible applications, which requested a total of $1.63 billion. The State Water Infrastructure Authority approved the awards during its Feb. 19 meeting.
The upcoming Spring 2025 funding applications for drinking water, wastewater, lead service line, and emerging contaminants projects opens on March 4 and ends on April 30 by 5 p.m. Funding application training for this round will be provided between March 4 and 12 through four in-person statewide sessions and a recorded virtual option.
A list of all projects selected for funding is available on the Department of Environmental Quality website.
