RALEIGH, NC— Governor Josh Stein announced that 145 projects across 66 North Carolina counties will receive more than $472 million in funding to improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure — including a major investment in Goldsboro.
The City of Goldsboro in Wayne County will receive $33 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and a State Drinking Water Reserve Program loan to construct a treatment system designed to remove PFAS contamination, commonly known as “forever chemicals.”
The statewide awards aim to help cities and counties strengthen infrastructure against future storms, upgrade aging systems, reduce contamination, and identify and replace lead pipes.
“After Hurricane Helene, tens of thousands of North Carolinians were without access to clean and reliable water for weeks. Upgrading our state’s aging water infrastructure must be a priority,” Stein said. “These investments will make our infrastructure more resilient in the face of future severe weather or disasters and improve access to clean drinking water for North Carolinians across the state.”
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson said the projects will support both public health and economic growth.
“Families and businesses expect and deserve safe water when they turn on the tap,” Wilson said. “The funded projects will strengthen aging drinking water and wastewater systems and will support healthy communities and a growing economy.”
The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure reviewed 198 eligible applications totaling $1.89 billion in requests. The North Carolina State Water Infrastructure Authority approved the awards during its Feb. 18 meeting. The authority serves as the independent body responsible for awarding federal and state funding for water infrastructure projects.
Funding for this round comes from multiple sources, including the State Revolving Funds program, which provides low-interest loans that may be partially forgiven; supplemental appropriations tied to Hurricane Helene and other disaster recovery efforts; the Community Development Block Grant–Infrastructure program for low- to moderate-income areas; the State Reserve Program prioritizing smaller and storm-impacted counties; and the Viable Utility Reserve grant program supporting distressed local government utilities.
A full list of funded projects is available on the DEQ website.
The Division of Water Infrastructure’s spring 2026 funding round opens Feb. 23, with applications due by 5 p.m. on April 30, 2026.
