Investing In Infrastructure
Prepare Today for North Carolina Spring Funding Round
On February 23, 2023, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced $462.9 million in funding awards for 249 infrastructure projects in 80 communities across the state. During the fall 2022 funding round, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) considered 734 applications for funding, representing 91 of North Carolina’s 100 counties.
Historic Investment in Infrastructure Over Two Years
This investment in infrastructure will strengthen North Carolina’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems that are vital for health, quality of life, and economic development. Historically, North Carolina has invested around $200 million per year for water and wastewater projects. The federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have greatly impacted this investment, increasing to $2.3 billion over the last 2 years.
During Governor Cooper’s recent visit to Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority (TWSA) he stated, “Every single North Carolinian deserves clean drinking water, and aging water systems are a threat to the health and economies of too many of our communities.”
McGill Helps Secure Funding for Communities
In the North Carolina fall funding round, McGill helped secure $24.7 million in funding for 17 projects. These projects included stormwater modeling and master planning, water and wastewater asset inventory assessments, and water and sewer rehabilitation and expansions. A few projects funded include:
- City of Oxford will receive $3.6 million for water system expansion and enhancement and replacing water lines that don’t meet current state codes, are in poor condition, and are between 50 to 100 years old.
- Town of Stovall will receive $7.8 million from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to replace portions of their potable water system that are greater than 40 years old. This project will reduce water loss, increase water quality, and reduce future maintenance.
- Town of St. Pauls will receive $9.2 million to rehabilitate or replace approximately 33,040 LF of existing gravity sewer lines.
- The Town of Calabash will receive $250,000 for a stormwater modeling, infrastructure assessment, and master planning.
Spring Round Quickly Approaching – Act Now
The deadline for spring 2023 funding applications is May 1, 2023 at 5:00 pm. Applications will be considered for the following programs:
- State Revolving Funds (SRFs) – SRF includes both the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRFs to provide low-interest loans for wastewater and drinking water projects. The spring round will include the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law general supplemental funds along with funding to address emerging contaminants and for identifying and replacing lead service lines.
- Community Development Block Grant – Infrastructure (CDBG-I) – provides grants to fund wastewater and drinking water projects in areas that meet the United States Housing and Urban Development low-to-moderate income threshold (LMI).
- Stormwater Planning Projects – stormwater planning grants will be available to conduct research or investigative studies, alternatives analyses, the preparation of engineering concept plans or engineering designs, and similar activities intended to help an eligible entity determine the best solutions for the entity’s stormwater quality or quantity issue and to engineer and permit the solutions.
RJ Mozeley, McGill Financial Services Manager, states, “The threshold for a successful competitive application has climbed sharply and applicants can expect the bar to remain high. Applicants need to be deliberate in how they construct a project. McGill is happy to assist communities in developing the most competitive application possible.”
Let Us Help You with Your Project
Do you have questions on the spring funding round or a potential project that you are seeking funding to get off the ground? Contact RJ Mozeley at rj.mozeley@mcgillassociates.com or 828.328.2024.
For more information on the NCDEQ – Division of Water Infrastructure, click here.
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