EPA awards $337M to North Carolina for water infrastructure and storm recovery

CHARLOTTE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a total of $337 million in funding for North Carolina to enhance water infrastructure resiliency and repair environmental damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

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In a release from the EPA Wednesday, the agency said the funding includes $276 million allocated under Title VI of the Clean Water Act to improve water infrastructure resiliency, following a previous allocation of $409 million in July for drinking water infrastructure improvements. Additionally, $61 million is awarded through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.

“These funds are critical to North Carolina as they continue to recover and look to the future to build stronger and more resilient water systems that can withstand severe weather,” EPA Regional Administrator Kevin McOmber said.

North Carolina received $253,681,000 for its Clean Water Safe Revolving Fund, which will allow for low-interest loans with principal forgiveness to support the planning, design, and construction of eligible treatment works improvement projects.

An additional $22,510,000 was allocated for a new Decentralized Clean Water Safe Revolving Fund aimed at improving the resilience of septic systems and connecting homes served by septic systems to centralized wastewater systems.

The $61,006,486 granted under the RCRA is intended for managing solid and hazardous waste debris, conducting site assessments to address contamination, rehabilitating damaged waste management facilities, and planning for future severe weather events.

The $276 million in supplemental appropriation funds are part of the 2025 Supplemental Appropriation for Hurricanes Helene and Milton and the Hawai’i Wildfires, administered by the State Revolving Fund. These funds may be used for projects that increase resiliency to natural disasters, including improvements to drinking water facilities and wastewater treatment works.

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