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While the state of North Carolina as a whole will see more than $9 billion in funds from the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP), communities across the state have an exciting opportunity to apply for a portion of that pie for infrastructure projects.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s State Water Infrastructure Authority (SWIA) has announced that $675 million of competitive funding will be available for water and wastewater projects. Details were released at a recent SWIA meeting. Applications for the funding will be accepted until May 2, 2022, with awards tentatively set to be announced in July 2022. Applicants may be awarded up to $15 million (by community, not by project).
Additionally, some of the other ARP funds for North Carolina will go toward projects already planned and in the pipeline, with a portion specifically earmarked for distressed communities. These projects will include water, wastewater, and stormwater initiatives. There are specifications attached to some of these funds, such as the type of project and its timetable. Meanwhile, many of the parameters for the program handling stormwater funding are still being determined, with a tentative timeline indicating that stormwater applications will be available for communities in Fall of 2022.
WithersRavenel’s Funding and Asset Management team has been tracking ARP funding news and opportunities at the federal and state levels, and will continue to keep abreast of the latest information. Our funding professionals have helped our clients secure more than $787 million from a variety of state and federal funding sources, while also providing critical funding administration services to ensure program compliance.
If you are interested in pursuing the upcoming water and wastewater project funding opportunities, or have other upcoming projects you believe would qualify for grants or loans, contact Amanda Whitaker at awhitaker@withersravenel.com.