MORE THAN $100 MILLION IN GRANTS AND LOANS RECOMMENDED TO HELP TAR HEEL MUNICIPALITIES WITH SEWER NEEDS

MORE THAN $100 MILLION IN GRANTS AND LOANS RECOMMENDED TO HELP TAR HEEL MUNICIPALITIES WITH SEWER NEEDS

RALEIGH - More than $100 million in clean water bonds were recommended today to be awarded to 42 local projects across North Carolina for major wastewater system needs.

     The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources also recommended wastewater loans of $4 million to Morehead City for sewer rehabilitation and $1,498,205 to Spindale for new collection sewers.

     "These grants and loans will help us fulfill our commitment to helping children, improving overall quality of life, and protecting and restoring the environment," Governor Jim Hunt said. "They will also help make sure our communities are healthy, safe and prosperous."

     Both the $103,823,468 in grants and the $5,498,205 in loans need approval from the state Environmental Management Commission. The 17-member board is to consider the proposals at its July 8 meeting in Raleigh. The Local Government Commission also has to approve the recommended loans before they can be issued.

     Last year, Hunt signed the Clean Water Bond Bill and pushed for its passage. North Carolina voters approved the referendum for $330 million in state grants and $300 million in loans to help local governments repair and improve water supply systems and wastewater collection and treatment, and to undertake water conservation and reuse projects. DENR's Division of Environmental Health on Wednesday announced that more than $100 million would be awarded for 52 drinking water grants.

     "We have tremendous needs in terms of wastewater treatment and service," DENR Secretary Wayne McDevitt said today. "These loans and grants will help our cities and towns operate their systems properly and help reduce sewer overflows and bypasses."

     DENR's Construction Grants and Loans Section in the Division of Water Quality administers the wastewater bond programs, selecting projects based upon need priorities and the ability to improve water quality. For the first round, officials announced that about $100 million in grants would be available; however, 217 applications were submitted for $439 million. A second round of applicants will be vying for about $60 million in grants and $145 million in loans.Applications are due by Sept. 30.

First round wastewater grant recipients include the following:
- Johnston County -- $3 million for sewer rehabilitation and improvements to its regional wastewater treatment plant;
- Person County -- $1,913,397 for a new wastewater collection system to serve Helena and an elementary school;
- Calabash -- $3 million for a new wastewater collection system, pump station and force main;
- Brunswick County, North Brunswick Sewer District, Leland and Navassa -- $3 million each ($12 milion overall) to build a new regional facility (North East Brunswick Wastewater Treatment Plant) and collection system, which will eliminate three discharges into the Cape Fear River basin and provide reuse quality water for golf course and industrial users;
- Oakboro -- $3 million to address inflow and infiltration problems in its collections system and expand its wastewater treatment plant to a regional facility;
- Stanfield -- $2,490,575 for a vacuum collection system and connection with Oakboro;
- Goldsboro -- $3 million to upgrade the Westbrook pump station and treatment plant;
- Clay County Water Sewer District -- $1,333,124 for rehabilitation of the collection system and a new gravity sewer line to serve an area of failing septic tanks;
- Yaupon Beach -- $563,000 to modify the wastewater treatment plant and to add storage ponds and irrigation pumps and fields;
- Harnett County -- $3 million to build a regional wastewater system;
- Kill Devil Hills -- $1,145,000 to connect the existing collection system to a private wastewater treatment plant, eliminating a discharge to nearby shellfish waters;
- Murphy -- $2,612,200 to upgrade and expand the wastewater treatment plant and to rehabilitate sewer lines;
- Holly Springs -- $3 million to build a new collection system to eliminate the use of failing septic tanks in the area;
- Whitley Heights Sanitation District -- $1,323,537 for a new collection system to eliminate failing septic tanks and to transport the flow to the Johnston County wastewater plant;
- Sims -- $2,337,700 for a new sewer collection system and interceptor to Wilson;
- New Bern -- $3 million to reduce the wastewater discharge volume to the Neuse River;
- Winton -- $2.6 million for rehabilitation to the sewer system and inffluent pump station;
- Bethel -- $3 million for various sewer rehabilitation projects;
- Robbinsville -- $323,360 for a new collection system to eliminate failing septic tanks;
- Walstonburg -- $1,785,700 for sewer rehabilitation projects;
- Andrews -- $1,782,000 for rehabiliation and upgrade of the treatment plant;
- Troutman -- $3 million to eliminate a discharge by pumping the wastewater to Statesville for treatment;
- Wayne County -- $3 million for a pump station and force main to eliminate three discharges and to connect with Goldsboro;
- Hyde County/Swan Quarter -- $3 million for a new 125,000 gallons per day collection and land application system;
- Eureka and Fremont -- $3 million each for force main sewer line connections with Goldsboro to eliminate two failing wastewater treatment plants;
- Buncombe County Metropolitan Sewer District -- $3 million for various sewer line rehabilitation projects;
- Kinston -- $3 million for inflow and infiltration collection system rehabilitation;
- Lumberton -- $3 million to separate combined wastewater and stormwater systems;
- Burke County -- $1,533,600 to provide sewer service to an existing school with a failing treatment plant;
- Winfall -- $2,061,000 for a new collection system and transport to Hertford to eliminate failing septic tanks;
- Franklinton -- $1.28 million for collection sewers, a pump station and a force main east of town to eliminate failing septic tanks;
- La Grange -- $3 million rehabilitation of collection system;
- Maggie Valley -- $1,772,900 for sludge facilities and bar screen at the treatment plant;
- Nash County -- $2.67 million for a new collection outfall and force main to eliminate failing septic tanks;
- Stedman -- $2,547,700 for a collection system, pump station and force main to Fayetteville to eliminate failing septic tanks;
- Snow Hill -- $3 million for rehabilitation and expansion of treatment plant for nutrient removal;
- Fountain -- $2,548,675 for a pump station and force main to Farmville; and
- Wadesboro -- $3 million for sewer rehabilitation projects.