Infrastructure repair surpasses $1 billion following Hurricane Helene
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is moving forward with new allocations for water infrastructure repair projects. Following Hurricane Helene, the State Water Infrastructure Authority surpassed $1 billion in grants for water and wastewater infrastructure repair.
A recent allocation on July 17, 2026, awarded 28 counties with an estimated $244 million in funds. This will go towards projects to strengthen infrastructure resilience, improve existing infrastructure, reduce chemical contamination and to identify and replace lead pipes.
“These drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects will protect people from dangerous chemicals, strengthen communities’ resilience to floods, and enable economic growth,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “Safe drinking water and clean-running streams are what every North Carolinian deserves and expects.”
Funding for these grants will continue in the fall with applications due by 5 p.m. Sept. 30, 2026.
