The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure (DWI) is accepting comments until January 12, 2022 on the proposed plan to administer approximately $1.6 billion in federal funds appropriated in the state budget for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
The North Carolina General Assembly appropriated the funds from the state’s allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), including $839.6 million directed to specific local governments and public entities. DWI will administer the remaining $758 million as grant funding, as detailed in the proposed plan. The funds are subject to federal statutory and budgetary requirements and all funds must be expended by December 30, 2026.
The proposed plan is available at: Proposed Plan to Administer the American Rescue Plan Act's State Fiscal Recovery Fund Appropriated in the State Budget.
Based on the proposed plan, the deadline for applications for the first round of ARPA drinking water and wastewater project funding will be May 2, 2022. The deadline for applications for stormwater projects is currently projected to be Sept. 30, 2022. Future application funding rounds will be used to award remaining funds.
Interested parties are invited to provide comments on the proposed plan by January 12, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Comments can be submitted:
- by email to dwi.publiccomments@ncdenr.gov with subject line Comments on Division of Water Infrastructure Proposed Plan for State Fiscal Recovery Funds
- by voicemail to 919-707-9187
- by mail to:
Cathy Akroyd
Division of Water Infrastructure
1633 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1633
Information about the water, wastewater and stormwater funding administered by the Division of Water Infrastructure is available at: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-infrastructure.