Robeson County municipalities to receive $46M for water, sewer improvements

Jul. 21—RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Water Infrastructure will award more than $46 million in grant and loan funding to municipalities throughout Robeson County.

The awards were recently approved by the State Water Infrastructure Authority to help pay for improvements in drinking water and wastewater projects throughout the state.

"This historic level of investment gives North Carolina communities an opportunity for transformative improvements in water quality and public health," said Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser. "Our staff has worked with the Authority members to get the funding to communities as quickly as possible so they can put this money to work."

The awards approved by the State Water Infrastructure Authority include funding from the state's allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) as well as additional funds awarded in the 2022-23 state budget that was recently approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Roy Cooper.

Of the funds that were appropriated to DEQ in the 2022-23 state budget, $174,846,696 in grants were awarded at the State Water Infrastructure Authority's July meeting. Funding this round also came through the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds, the State Reserve, and the Viable Utility Reserve. Projects funded from the Viable Utility Reserve are conditional upon approval by the Local Government Commission.

Fairmont — $15 million

The Town of Fairmont was approved for the largest allocation in the county, totaling $15 million. The funds were provided through a combination of $14,769,667 from the Viable Utility Reserve grant and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund principal forgiveness which totaled $230,333.

Fairmont Mayor Charles Kemp told The Robesonian the funding places the town in a position to address the water and sewer issues in low-lying areas throughout the town.

Kemp said the funding is for the residents who have to deal with water and sewer backing up in their homes when there are hurricanes or torrential downpours.

"This is a blessing for the people living in low-lying areas," Kemp said.

Rowland — $10.3 million

Much-needed wastewater and sanitary sewer infrastructure repairs will be addressed in the Town of Rowland, with the town being approved for a $10.3 million Viable Utility Reserve grant.

Rowland Mayor Robert McDougald said town officials have been looking to improve the decades-old sewer system by upgrading the lagoon system and replacing the majority of the sewer lines along with the pumps that control the flow of the system.

The grant award will help facilitate this task, McDougald said.

"We are very excited to receive this much-needed grant because it will allow us to make the services that we provide to our citizens much more efficient and seamless," he added. "We are also very proud of the new wave of excitement here in Rowland that we have generated with all of the major projects that we have begun to improve the quality of life for our citizens."

Red Springs — $7.1 million

A total of $7,181.373 was approved for the Town of Red Springs through the State Reserve grant for drinking water. The funding will be used for water distribution rehabilitation throughout town which is something needed in a town with a name like Red Springs, said the town's manager David Ashburn.

Ashburn said the funding will help repair pipes as small as three inches and up to six inches wide throughout the town to address leaks. It will also help replace asbestos concrete pipes.

"This will allow us to not replace everything but get a lot of that cleaned up," Ashburn said.

Ashburn said the town applied for sewer funding as well but was not awarded the grant. The town will apply again in the next funding cycle, he said.

Maxton — $7 million

As of Thursday, the Town of Maxton had yet to receive notice of the funding, but a representative with the Division of Water Infrastructure confirmed that the town has been approved for a Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan totaling $7,033,500.

The town applied for the loan to replace its wastewater pump station, according to Town Manager Angela Pitchford.

Parkton — $6.1 million

The town of Parkton approved funding for two projects. A State Reserve grant in the amount of $4,928,210 is to be awarded to the town for sewer system improvements.

An additional $1,196,250 was also approved for a well replacement project. This funding source is also through a State Reserve grant.

Lumberton — $214,010

The DEQ will award the City of Lumberton a $214,010 State Reserve grant to conduct a Main Sewer Interceptor Study.

St. Pauls —$150,000

The town of St. Pauls is to be awarded a $150,000 State Reserve grant to conduct a Water System Asset Inventory and Assessment and Rate Study.

Tomeka Sinclair can be reached at tsinclai@robesonian.com or 910-416-5865.