North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced on February 21, 2025, that communities across the state will receive more than $265 million in funding for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
The funding will help pay for 99 projects in 45 different counties, including funding to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (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 in a press release.“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.”
North Carolina drinking water projects
- Kings Mountain (Gaston County) will receive $2 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Drinking Water funds for a lead and copper service line replacement project.
- The Town of Fair Bluff (Columbus County) will receive $1 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds for construction of a well outside the 500-year floodplain, with connection to the water system via approximately 4,000 linear feet of waterline. This will replace a well that was damaged in Hurricanes Florence and Matthew.
- New Hanover County will receive $3 million in funding 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.
- The Town of River Bend (Craven County) will receive $10.4 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds to complete improvements to water treatment systems and water supply wells.
- Columbus County Water District IV will receive $15 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds to install one 250,000-gallon elevated water tank, a booster pump station, a deep-water supply well, and to extend waterlines to serve more than 500 residences in the Waccamaw Siouan Tribal Area.
- Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District (Halifax County) will receive $5 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for Emerging Contaminants to begin work on constructing a post-filter granular activated carbon adsorption facility to remove PFAS from its drinking water.
- Bessemer City (Gaston County) will receive $2.5 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Lead Service Line Replacement funds to replace approximately 150 galvanized water service lines with new water service lines, from the water main to the homes.
A list of all projects selected for funding can be found on the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) website.
“Every family expects and deserves clean water when they turn on the tap,” said NCDEQ Secretary Reid Wilson in a press release.“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.”
The NCDEQ’s Division of Water Infrastructure reviewed 203 eligible applications, which requested a total of $1.63 billion.
Funding this round came from the Drinking Water (DWSRF) and Clean Water (CWSRF) State Revolving Loan Funds, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Emerging Contaminants funds, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Service Line Replacement fund, the Drinking Water and Wastewater State Reserves, the Viable Utilities Reserve, and the Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure (CDBG-I) program. Projects funded with Viable Utility Reserve funds are subject to approval by the Local Government Commission.
