Governor Josh Stein announced on Apr. 16 that more than $215 million will be allocated to 66 drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects across 26 counties in North Carolina. The State Water Infrastructure Authority approved the funding, with most of the money—about $196 million—directed to communities that suffered significant damage from Hurricane Helene.
The investment aims to help communities rebuild critical infrastructure, making it more resilient against future disasters. Access to clean and reliable water is a key concern for residents throughout the state, as noted by Governor Stein. “People need to have access to clean, reliable water,” said Governor Josh Stein. “These investments will help rebuild infrastructure more resilient so families can count on safe water, especially when disaster strikes.”
According to NC Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson, the awarded projects address urgent needs such as repairing systems damaged by Helene, studying chemicals like PFAS, and replacing lead pipes. “The projects awarded will address some of our state’s most pressing current needs: repairing vital water systems that were damaged by Helene to make them less vulnerable to future storms, conducting studies of dangerous forever chemicals such as PFAS, and replacing lead pipes that can cause numerous health issues,” said Wilson. “Every dollar will support the health and economic vitality of our communities.”
This round brings total federal and state awards for hurricane recovery efforts up to $861 million since September 2025 through April meetings this year. Projects funded include improvements in Black Mountain ($4.8 million), Marshall ($4 million), Morganton ($8 million), Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority ($10 million), Lake Lure (over $7 million combined), Gastonia ($10 million), Murphy ($5 million), Cleveland County Water ($8.5 million), Canton ($3.5 million), Mount Holly (nearly $4.7 million for lead line replacement) among others.
Funding sources include federal appropriations related to Hurricanes Helene and Milton as well as wildfires in Hawai’i (“SRF Helene”), Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) grants, Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) grants, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocations for lead service line replacements or emerging contaminants studies, plus Community Development Block Grant-Infrastructure program resources.
The Division of Water Infrastructure received applications totaling $1.3 billion after Hurricane Helene; however, about $655 million in requests remain unfunded at this time.
The Office of the Governor of North Carolina serves the entire state according to the official website (official website). As chief executive officer, it executes state laws and leads policy direction through budget management while serving as commander in chief of the National Guard (official website). Josh Stein has served as North Carolina’s 76th governor (official website).
A full list of selected projects is available on the NC Department of Environmental Quality website.
