North Carolina surpasses $1 billion in Hurricane Helene water infrastructure funding
(UI) — North Carolina has awarded more than $1 billion for drinking water, wastewater and resilience projects in western North Carolina as communities continue recovering from Hurricane Helene, state officials announced. The funding milestone comes as 98% of water systems damaged by the storm have been restored, although officials estimate more than $758 million in water infrastructure needs remain.
The funding, administered by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), supports repairs to drinking water and wastewater systems, flood resilience projects and long-term infrastructure improvements. In Burnsville, the state has awarded $13 million through the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds to improve the town's drinking water supply, water distribution system and sewer infrastructure. Combined with $4.5 million in previously awarded emergency bridge loans and technical assistance grants, Burnsville has received more than $17 million in state water infrastructure funding since the storm.
State officials said the latest investments are part of a broader effort to strengthen the resilience of water infrastructure against future disasters. The DEQ has also funded 19 flood resilience projects totaling $10 million in the French Broad River Basin and recently announced an additional $44 million in state funding for Hurricane Helene water infrastructure projects. Despite those investments, applications for remaining projects exceed available funding by more than $758 million.
Gov. Josh Stein said North Carolina will continue seeking additional federal support to address remaining recovery needs. His request to Congress includes $1 billion through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for water infrastructure improvements, water quality restoration, brownfield redevelopment and hazardous waste management as the state continues rebuilding communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
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