Governor Josh Stein and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Reid Wilson visited the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant in Wilmington to announce $17 million in grants aimed at reducing exposure to PFAS and GenX chemicals in New Hanover County. The funding will allow for the extension of waterlines, connecting more than 300 homes with contaminated wells to Cape Fear Public Utility Authority’s (CFPUA) supply of safe drinking water.
This grant is part of a broader investment, as Governor Stein recently announced over $472 million for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects across 66 counties. The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority also received $17.8 million to support replacement and capacity upgrades at the Southside Water Reclamation Facility.
“When families turn on the tap, they deserve to know that their water is clean and safe,” said Governor Josh Stein. “This $17 million investment in Wilmington will protect more than 300 families from forever chemicals by connecting their homes to the public water supply. We’ve made historic commitments to upgrade water infrastructure across North Carolina because keeping North Carolinians healthy starts with reliable, resilient water systems.”
“People who live in the Cape Fear River Basin are rightly concerned about high levels of forever chemicals like GenX and PFAS in their drinking water,” said DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson. “The Department of Environmental Quality remains committed to doing everything we can to reduce exposure to these harmful chemicals so that families can trust that the water coming out of their tap is healthy and safe.”
“Clean drinking water is among the most fundamental services government provides. This funding helps connect families in New Hanover County to the safe water they deserve, and we’re grateful for the State’s continued partnership in that effort,” said Vice Chair of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners and Cape Fear Public Utility Authority Board Member Dane Scalise.
“Since CFPUA brought new filters online at our Sweeney Plant in 2022, we have been able to effectively remove GenX and other PFAS from our public drinking water,” said CFPUA Board Chairman Wesley P. Corder. “We are very grateful for this support from Governor Stein’s Office and the Department of Environmental Quality, which will enable us to connect more families in our community to CFPUA’s clean, clearly better water.”
The $17 million awarded through DEQ’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities program comes from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funds. In areas served by these new projects, more than 75 percent of sampled wells exceeded health-based standards for certain PFAS compounds.
Statewide, North Carolina has invested $472 million through NCDEQ for cities, towns, and counties aiming to strengthen infrastructure against future storms, improve existing systems, reduce contamination by forever chemicals, and replace lead pipes. With recent allocations totaling $17.8 million for CFPUA’s Southside Replacement Project, DEQ’s total support now stands at $192.8 million.
Governor Stein has prioritized strengthening state water systems since taking office—advancing over $1.4 billion toward upgrading drinking water and wastewater facilities while addressing contaminants such as PFAS. Last week he spoke at Winston-Salem’s annual Emerging Issues Forum about ongoing investments needed for North Carolina’s infrastructure needs.
As Attorney General, Governor Stein filed lawsuits against DuPont and Chemours regarding pollution from forever chemicals into the Cape Fear River; those cases are still active.
The Department of Environmental Quality regulates air quality, land use, coastal environments, waste management, permit issuance, environmental law enforcement, public education efforts on stewardship across North Carolina communities (official website). The agency aims for science-based environmental protection supporting health statewide (official website), overseeing natural resources from its Raleigh headquarters (official website).
Learn more about Division of Water Infrastructure programs here.
