Raleigh, NC – On Wednesday, Governor Roy Cooper announced that communities statewide will receive a record $789.4 million in water and wastewater infrastructure funding to help pay for 385 projects statewide, including 140 construction projects.
Locations of 2022 state funded applications
For Chatham County the state funding included:
For Pittsboro:
$150,000 grant for the Western Intake Partnership Regionalization Study$250,000 grant for the Wastewater Master Plan$500,000 for the Water Treatment Plant Addition$4,450,000 grant for Find It & Fix It Sewer Rehabilitation
For Siler City:
$3,000,000 grant for Sewer Rehabilitation$3,000,000 loan for Sewer Rehabilitation
For Chatham County:
$400,000 grant for the Western Intake Partnership Regionalization Study
The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure received more than 700 applications from 94 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, requesting more than $3.1 billion. This funding round included the first awards of American Rescue Plan Act water and wastewater funding on the state level, as well as $174,846,696 in funds that were appropriated in the 2022-23 state budget, signed by Governor Cooper on July 11, 2022.
“These funds will replace aging infrastructure and help utilities remain viable, which benefits the health and economic well-being of communities across our state,” said DEQ Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser.
A list of all projects funded statewide by town or county is available online. The Division of Water Infrastructure website features a map illustrating the statewide distribution of funded projects in the Spring 2022 funding round.
The State Water Infrastructure Authority approved the awards during the July 14 meeting. Funding this round also came from the Viable Utility Reserve and the Drinking Water and Wastewater State Reserves, funded from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated to the State, and the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds. Projects funded from the Viable Utility Reserve are conditional upon approval by the Local Government Commission.
The Authority is an independent body with primary responsibility for awarding federal and state funding for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Other responsibilities include developing a state water infrastructure master plan, recommending ways to maximize the use of available loan and grant funding resources, and examining best and emerging practices.
The application period for the next round of funding for water and wastewater infrastructure projects, which will include the first ARPA stormwater funding, ends on Sept. 30 at 5:00 p.m. The application training schedule is available here.