More than $265 million will be distributed to North Carolina communities to fund drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects, according to Gov. Josh Stein.
The governor’s office and the state Department of Environmental Quality made the announcement Friday as concerns rise about the state’s drinking water.
At least 2.5 million North Carolinians have drinking water contaminated with harmful chemicals known as PFAS. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic chemicals used in everyday products, from nonstick cookware to firefighting foam.
“When we invest in our infrastructure, we build a stronger and
safer state for every North Carolinian,” Stein said. “This
funding will help ensure more North Carolinians have access to safe and clean
drinking water and will strengthen our communities for decades to come.”
WRAL News previously uncovered PFAS levels in local drinking water, including in Raleigh, Cary, Durham and Fayetteville.
Some of the projects to be funded by the $265 million include:
- Cumberland County will get over $22 million for PFAS treatment in Gray’s Creek and Cedar Creek areas.
- The city of Durham will get $392,495 for PFAS consulting support.
- Kings Mountain in Gaston County will receive $2 million for a lead and copper service line replacement projects.
- The town of Nags Head in Dare County will receive $500,000 to finance repairs and replacements to approximately 400 malfunctioning residential septic systems.
- New Hanover County will receive $3 million to install 1.3 miles of water lines and connect 50 homes to the water system.
A full list of the projects and distributions can be found online.