North Carolina announces $204 million in funding for drinking water and wastewater projects

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced on July 23, 2025, that 27 counties across the state will receive more than $204 million in funding for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

The awards will improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, address PFAS and other forever chemicals, identify and replace lead pipes, and improve resiliency after future storms.

“When you turn on the faucet in your home, you shouldn’t have to worry about whether that water is safe for your family,” said Governor Josh Stein in a press release. “These investments will help ensure North Carolinians have access to clean drinking water and will help keep people safe when disaster strikes."

“At DEQ, we’re committed to ensuring everyone in North Carolina has access to clean water,” said Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson in a press release. “This funding will address aging infrastructure and improve public health for communities large and small.”

Notable projects include:

The Town of Bryson City (Swain County) will receive $9.2 million in Clean Water State Revolving Funds for wastewater treatment plant improvements.
The Town of Waynesville (Haywood County) will receive $8.2 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for improvements to the Little Champion Gravity Sewer and Pump Station.
The City of Graham (Alamance County) will receive $3.4 million in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Drinking Water State Revolving Fund-Emerging Contaminant (PFAS) Construction funding for Graham-Mebane Water Treatment Plant improvements.
The Fayetteville Public Works Commission (Cumberland County) will receive $20.5 million from IIJA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Emerging Contaminant (PFAS) Construction funding for the P.O. Hoffer / Glenville Lake Water Treatment Plant Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) facility.
The Town of River Bend (Craven County) will receive $6.3 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Funds for Phase II drinking water improvements.
The Martin County Regional Water and Sewer Authority will receive $1 million in IIJA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund-Emerging Contaminant (PFAS) Construction funding for GAC filters for PFAS removal.
The City of Lenoir (Caldwell County) will receive $5.6 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for Lower Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Process Basin Improvements. Lenoir will also receive $1 million in IIJA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Lead Service Line funding for its Lead Service Line Inventory Phase 3 project.
The City of Lexington (Davidson County) will receive $13.7 million in Clean Water State Revolving Funds for the Lexington Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids Handling Improvements project.
The City of Henderson (Vance County) will receive $10.7 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for the Sandy Creek Pump Station and Force Main project.
The Town of Warrenton (Warren County) will receive $10 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for its Phase IV Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements project.
The City of Sanford (Lee County) will receive $7.3 million in Clean Water State Revolving Funds for its Dry Creek Basin Sewer Rehabilitation project and $1 million each for its Sanford/TriRiver Water/Chatham County and Sanford/TriRiver Water/Siler City Lead Service Line Inventory projects.
The Pfeiffer-North Stanly Water Association (Stanly County) will receive $4.9 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Funds for its N. Main Street and Old 52 waterline replacement project.
Carolina Water Service, Inc. will receive a total of $5.5 million for six projects involving PFAS-related, lead service line identification or water line-related funding in Cumberland, Gaston, Moore and Pender counties.

A list of all the projects selected for funding can be found here.

NCDEQ’s Division of Water Infrastructure reviewed 133 eligible applications, which requested a total of $1.57 billion. The State Water Infrastructure Authority approved the awards during its July 16 meeting. The Authority is an independent body with primary responsibility for awarding federal and state funding for water infrastructure projects.

Funding this round came from the State Revolving Funds, including IIJA funds. The State Revolving Funds provide low-interest loans that may be partially forgiven for drinking water and wastewater projects. State Revolving Funds are funded by federal capitalization grants and revolving loan repayments. This round included IIJA Emerging Contaminants (PFAS) funds and IIJA Lead Service Line Replacement funds.